For the First Time in Never
by JEGlass
Summary: A man with a secret and a past he desperately wants to avoid. A queen not looking for love but finding it in unexpected places. They say love is powerful and strange, that it can melt a frozen heart, and that maybe, just maybe, it can bring two wayward souls together and erase the sins of the past. A somewhat sequel to Dagger in the Daylight.
1. Chapter 1

Elsa watched Anna make her twentieth circuit of the small vestibule, healed footfalls echoing around the chamber like hammer blows. Each time she passed under a stream of light coming through the high windows her white and purple dress would shimmer, light refracting off the thousands of tiny crystal beads like frost reflection the sun.

"You're going to wear a hole in the marble if you keep this up," Elsa said from her place beside the closed wooden doors, trying hard to hide her smile. Anna threw her a contemptuous look, white gloved hands opening and closing as she tried to calm herself. How the hell Elsa had worn gloves for most of her life the young princess would never know. They were itchy and constricting and _hot._

The queen put a hand over her heart and pantomimed being struck by something. "If looks could kill, little sister, I'd be dead on the floor."

"You're not helping," Anna said continuing to pace.

Elsa sighed and fell into step beside her sister, linking arms with her.

"Anna, you're going to be alright. Just breathe."

"I can't," Anna whined and stopped in front of the doors that led into the chapel. "What if he's not waiting for me? What if I trip? What if I somehow fall into a candle stand and light the whole chapel on fire?"

"Yes, what if that exact scenario happened?" Elsa said raising an eyebrow. Sometimes her sister's imagination blew her away. Anna looked on the verge of tears, the telltale redness creeping into her nose and a glassiness welling in her eyes. Elsa quickly stepped in front of Anna and took her sister's face in her cool hands, forcing the young princess to look at her.

"Anna, listen to me. You're going to be fine; you just have to calm down. You're not going to trip, there are no candles in the chapel save for the unity candle behind the altar, and Kristoff isn't going to leave you for two reasons. One, he loves you more than life itself. You two were engaged for almost two years, which is a far cry better than your first attempt." Elsa winked at Anna's outraged expression. It felt good making light of the whole Hans situation even if it had happened almost three years ago. "And the second reason, Kristoff knows his life would be forfeit if he broke the heart of the queen's little sister."

"You wouldn't dare," Anna said with a small smile, attempting to dab the tears from her eyes before they fell and ruined her carefully applied makeup. It had taken Gerda almost an hour to get it right.

"Dare what? Castrate the poor fool and use his man bits for inkwells while his head makes a pretty decoration on my wall? No, of course not. How utterly barbaric," Elsa grinned devilishly. Anna playfully pushed her sister, anxiety lessening the more she laughed.

"You're horrible."

Elsa shrugged. "I have my moments. It's just good to hear you laugh. This should be a happy day! You've dreamed about it since we were little."

Anna rubbed her shoulder sheepishly and cast a glance over at the still closed doors. How long did it take for everyone to be seated and for Arren to finish? Taking her sister's advice, she took a breath that started at her toes and stopped at the top of her head. After a moment she let out the breath in a rush. Elsa was right, she had been dreaming of this moment for years. Anna partially blamed the all the romantic stories and poetry she'd read over the years, those lovely pages painting pictures in her mind about how beautiful romance and love could be when it was true and pure. She spent hours devouring as many books as she could find, oftentimes rereading what she'd already read and envisioning herself in the place of the maiden or exotic princess. But what the stories had never touched on was how nerve wracking it was standing outside the chapel waiting for the doors to….

The old polished wood creaked on its hinges as the two guards inside pushed them open in perfect unison, bathing the vestibule in warm golden light. Anna blinked in the sudden brightness and felt Elsa step next to her, right arm linking with her left.

"Just remember to breathe. This is your day," the queen whispered as they stepped up to the threshold. Anna swallowed the lump in her throat as all three hundred guests, seated in the pews flanking either side of the chapel, rose and turned to look at her. At about the same time, the choir standing in the circular loft above the altar began to sing a gentle ballad in Latin that grew in volume as Anna and Elsa began their slow march up to where bishop Arren and a nervous Kristoff awaited.

Elsa glanced at Anna out of the corner of her eyes and felt a warm smile spread across her face. Her sister was a natural beauty, like sunshine captured in living flesh, but today she was practically radiant. The dress Elsa had commissioned for Anna, partially because it was tradition for the ruling monarch to have a say in what a soon-to-be-wedded princess should wear, and partially because Anna was scatterbrained and forgot to send for the royal tailor, was a stunning piece of clothing the likes of which Arendelle hadn't seen in years.

The young princess wore a primarily white silk dress accented with wide stripes of soft lavender in the front folds of her skirt in order to break of the monotony. Beads of cut crystal had been painstakingly sewn atop the white silk like a spider's web, the bands of light streaming in from the high arch windows on either side of the chapel making the crystals flash and shimmer like caged fire as Anna walked. A sweetheart bodice of the same soft lavender, complemented with matching lace hemming along the bottom half and the wide shoulder straps, hugged the princess's slender waist and chest, complete with interwoven bands of a softer, lighter purple ivy embroidery. And under it all was a long sleeve, high necked gossamer underdress that tapered into triangular points at the back of her hands. Upon Anna's request, Elsa had also had a veil made that could attach to Anna's tiara she barely wore but was adamant about wearing today, her hair pulled back in an intricate bun braid complete with interwoven purple ribbon.

In comparison to her sister, Elsa wore a more plain looking dress as to not draw attention away from her sister. It was a modified version of her coronation dress with a few marked differences. A light blue bodice and skirt replaced the green and purple original, set overtop a dark blue underdress with a matching gossamer cape. She'd made a few changes to the gown, shortening the sleeves, lowered the neckline of the underdress, and replaced the fabric with gossamer rather than the suede of her old coronation dress. Her skirt was embroidered with swirling snowflakes along the bottom, and the white gold clasps that held her cape in place just below the hollow of her throat had been carved to look like snowflakes. It was a beautiful dress, but it paled in comparison to Anna's as Elsa had intended.

The two stopped at the bottom of the altar where bishop Arren stood three steps higher than the rest of the assembly, red and white ceremonial robes as immaculate as ever. In his hands he held a massive leatherback tome already opened to the proper page and nodded affectionately at the royal sisters. Kristoff shifted again, no doubt knowing his bride-to-be was standing mere feet from him but was unable to turn and look at her until she was given away.

"Dearly beloved," Arren began in a clear voice that carried the entire length of the chapel, "we are gathered here today to witness the union of Princess Anna Frosberg and Barron Kristoff Bjorgman in holy matrimony."

Elsa fought back a snigger at the mention of Kristoff's "official" title. It had been a necessary step in ensuring Anna could marry the man she loved while making absolutely sure that, should they have children anytime in the future, their claim to the throne would go unchallenged. Elsa had named Kristoff "Barron of the Northern Mountains", a title that really meant nothing since there was no land or power attached to it, but it cemented him as part of the elite and gave him the lawful right to marry Anna. Still, the title had galled the ice harvester at first until Elsa had explained he could either take the title or leave Anna.

"Who here has the authority and right to give away the princess," Arren said looking out over the crowd just as he was supposed to.

"I do," Elsa said stepping forward and raising her voice. "I, Elsa Frosberg, ruling monarch of Arendelle Kingdom and Queen of the Northern Realms, do hereby give my sister's hand freely to Barron Kristoff Bjorgman."

Bishop Arren nodded and smiled. "The Church accepts and recognized this giving."

Elsa bowed slightly at the waist and turned to take her seat in the front row, leaving Anna and Kristoff to finish the rest.

The two lovers slowly turned towards one another, neither having seen the other since sunrise that morning. At the sight of his beautiful bride, Kristoff mouthed a stunned "wow", eyes as big as dinner plates. He was dressed in a fitted black open fronted jacket with silver buttons and a lavender undershirt dyed to match Anna's dress. A royal purple sash around his waist brought the outfit together and cut the mountain man a handsome figure. Anna seemed as stunned as her husband-to-be, though he couldn't see her expression until Arren allowed him to lift the veil as the ceremony continued.

It didn't take long for the vows to be exchanged, the ring brought by a bounding Olaf who practically sprinted down the aisle with gleeful delight, and the final "I do's" to be said. Anna all but lunged at Kristoff when Arren finally announced them husband and wife, grabbing the mountain man by the collar and pulling him into a blushingly deep kiss that lasted a few seconds longer than was necessary. Arren discreetly cleared his throat and the two separated, both red faced but smiling a giddy smile that only newlyweds could grin.

To say the reception and accompanying ball directly after the wedding was large would have been a gross understatement. It was a massive event hosting numerous royal guests from kingdoms far and wide, all eager to participate in the celebration of the princess of Arendelle's wedding. Hundreds of people packed the spacious ballroom and the castle courtyard, both decorated by Elsa with help from her arctic magic, some dancing, others eating, while most congregated in tight clusters eager for the festivities to fully commence. The queen made her presence an hour after the wedding after having changed into a gown better suited for the night's festivities. Anna and Kristoff appeared a few minutes later, the young princess declaring the party officially begun much to the joy of the crowd.

For hours, Elsa circulated the ballroom, bowing to dignitaries, dancing with eligible princes, as well as once or twice with an absolutely elated Olaf who had made it a game of meeting and greeting everyone at the party, and discussing some of the finer points of trade and negotiations with those trusted few who she did business with on a regular basis. By the time the sun had finally set, the young queen retreated to her dais and sank gratefully into her cushioned throne, never so happy to be off her feet.

_What I wouldn't give for a sensible pair of shoes,_ Elsa though as she attempted to wiggle life back into her numb toes and glaring daggers at the opaque blue shoe encasing her foot. Heels were the appropriate party fashion, but she'd give almost anything to just slip into a pair of soft suede slippers and lounge.

By now most of the guests had filtered out of the ballroom, those who wanted to continue private conversation, or who wanted a chance to leave the stifling chamber, fleeing to the courtyard or the isolation of the hallways, significantly thinning the crowd. The queen lazily watched the few remaining clusters of dancing couples make slow circuits around the dance floor, not noticing Anna as she mounted the dais until the princess threw her arms around her and squeezed tightly. Elsa gave a startled squeak, a small burst of arctic air rolling from her fingertips.

"Why are you up here all alone?" Anna asked suppressing a shiver as the cold air brushed past her.

"My feet have revolted against me and refuse to stop screaming," Elsa said wiggling her foot.

"That's what you get for wearing heels," Anna said in her sweetest voice. She didn't have to tell her sister 'I told you so' flat out; Elsa already knew what she was thinking and made a face.

"That's what I get for being queen."

Anna stuck her tongue out, and Elsa laughed. It still felt strange spending time in the ballroom with her sister. Of course the last three years had seen countless balls and parties taken place in the spacious chamber, but the queen could still see the ghosts of that fateful day three years ago when she'd very nearly brought her kingdom to its knees replay in her mind's eye. Through the press of bodies she could see her freshly crowned younger self quickly moving away from a frustrated Anna, back and shoulders so tight she could still recall the muscle cramps. Then came that terrifying moment when it had all become too much to hold in any longer, and the ice had sprayed from her hands in an arctic blast, effectively cutting her off from her sister and subjects with a wall of glittering spikes. Elsa felt a shiver run down her spine and looked away, not wanting to see the ghosts anymore, not wanting to feel the threads of guilt that still lingered or the fear that still crept up on her at night when she was alone with her thoughts.

"Hey, are you ok?" Anna asked seeing the change in her sister's expression. Elsa let out a quick breath and gave her a reassuring nod.

"I think I just need to get outside."

"Ok," Anna said standing and pulling her up by the arm.

"You really don't have to—"

"Oh hush. I know how you get when you're around crowds too long. I would have come and rescued you sooner, but Kristoff insisted on 'just one more dance'," Anna said imitating her husband's voice in an exaggerated way.

Elsa smiled and allowed herself to be led away, nodding to guests as she went in both greeting and farewell. Anna pushed open the tall balcony doors just beyond the ballroom with her hip, and Elsa practically cried with relief. The night had turned out cooler than expected, and the cold air was like a soothing balm on her skin. Moving to the railing, the young queen closed her eyes and breathed in the crisp night air, letting the wind pull loose strands of hair free and tug at the icy fabric of her 'Snow Queen' dress as Anna had come to call it.

"Better?"

"So much better," Elsa grinned putting her weight on the banister, happy to give her aching feet a reprieve. The two stood in companionable silence for a handful of minutes looking out over the courtyard at the kingdom beyond, tiny specks of golden light shining from hundreds of windows illuminating the night. Arendelle was a beautiful kingdom by day, but it was at night that the town and countryside truly came to life as candles and fires were lit, yellow jewels glimmering in a not so distant galaxy. Not too far in the distance, the sisters could hear the gentle peel of ship bells as heavy fraters, loaded down with trade goods and produce, slid into port with the wind in their furled sails. A sea breeze rolled past the castle bring with it the scent of cooked food, the sound of muffled conversation, and salt water as it swirled around the courtyard like a dervish.

Anna scooted closer to her sister and nudged her with her shoulder. "I saw you dancing tonight."

Elsa snorted and rolled her eyes at the same time. Ah yes, dancing. It wasn't that the queen _couldn't_ dance. The curriculum for becoming a proper royal demanded that she know at least thirty dance routines varying from ethnic jigs to back achingly straight waltzes. Growing up in self-imposed isolation, Elsa had been traumatized by the very idea of having another person touch her, so learning these dances had been a difficult chore, but she'd found a measure of peace in the rhythmic flow of a body drifting in sync with a musical score. It reminded her of how her power flowed through her body, flurries and fractals spiraling in time with the beat of her heart. After the Great Freeze, the queen had slowly embraced her secret love for dance, though after years of limited human contact getting up the nerve to dance with strangers had been a nerve wracking experience.

"Yes well," Elsa coughed, "the duties of a queen are never done."

"Oh stop it, I know you enjoyed yourself," Anna scoffed lightheartedly. She tapped her chin as if trying to remember something. "Who was that one guy with the fluffy black hair and long coat tails?"

"Prince Vestrad," Elsa sneered recalling the name instantly. It wasn't like she could have forgotten. The Turkish prince had a nasty habit of speaking in third person, making any form of conversation awkward and very one sided.

"He seemed to…know his way around the dance floor," Anna giggled, knowing her sister would pick up on her sarcasm. Watching Elsa and the Turkish prince dance had been like watching a moose try and tiptoe across a frozen lake. Not only had he been unbalanced, offbeat, and uncoordinated, he'd been blessed with large feet that seemed to be just as awkward as he was. Elsa contributed a large portion of her foot pain to that dance and winced at the memory.

"He was just nervous," she said off handedly.

"He was a cad," Anna sniffed.

"Granted, yes. But anyway, how did _your_ dances with Kristoff go?" Elsa asked turning the tide of conversation. Anna made a face somewhere between a wince and a smile, and the queen suppressed a smile.

"His lessons definitely paid off, and after a few drinks he loosened up." Anna puffed out her cheeks and released a slow breath, "Loosened up quite a bit actually. Every new song he wanted to try a different step until I think we were just skipping around the ballroom while everyone watched. Olaf thought it was the funniest thing and copied us for about an hour."

"Well, at least you can't fault him for not attempting to try," Elsa said with a lopsided grin. Again Anna stuck her tongue out at her. The queen had Kristoff start dance lessons the week after his proposal to Anna, hoping that the mountain man would retain at least small fragments of class for their wedding dance. It appeared her foresight had paid off.

"You really were beautiful today," Elsa said after a stretch of silence, her eyes wandering up into the heavens where the stars were beginning to shine like distant frost on a blue black blanket. For once she didn't feel like something was glaring back at her and was contented just to stare at the natural beauty of the night sky. She felt Anna shift beside her and knew her sister was blushing without having to look.

"Thank you. You were beautiful too."

There was a strange tightness to Anna voice that caught the queen off guard. Elsa turned and was bewildered to see tears sparkling in her sister's eyes. Immediately she tensed and cupped Anna's face in her cool hands, concern creasing her brow.

"Anna? Anna, what's wrong?"

The young princess smiled and rubbed her eyes with the heel of her palm and sniffed. "I…I don't think I've ever been this happy before," she said somewhere between a sob and a laugh. "I just never imagined things would have turned out this way. Three years ago I got you back, and now I have Kristoff. My heart honestly feels like it's going to explode."

"Well, let's leave the exploding of hearts until after your wedding night, alright?" Elsa teased gently, pulling her sister close and resting her chin atop Anna's strawberry blond head, long arms resting on her shoulders.

"I just…all those years we spent apart I dreamt of what it would be like to have you as my sister again. I would stay awake for hours envisioning what we'd be doing when we were older."

Elsa felt a familiar twinge of shame and grief twist in her gut. There wasn't a day that went by she didn't think about her past actions and how much pain she'd caused her family. Sometimes the guilt was enough to make her physically sick, but Anna would always be there, sunny as a summer day, ready to forgive her though the young princess was adamant she needed no forgiveness.

"But never in my wildest dreams," Anna continued, "did I imagine we'd be where we are now, and I wouldn't change any of it for the world. I have you back," Anna squeezed her sister tighter, face pressed into the curve of Elsa's throat where her neck and shoulders met, "and I have a wonderful husband. I think there's only one more thing that could make me the happiest person on earth."

"What's that?" Elsa asked in a quiet voice, moving a stray lock of Anna's hair back into her braided bun.

"I want you to be happy," Anna whispered.

Elsa pulled back, a bit surprised but more confused than anything. "But I am happy. I have you, what more could I possibly need?"

"I can see the look on your face when you watch couples dance," Anna said pulling away and looking down at the ground as if she were admitting to a crime.

"I…what are you talking about?"

"It's ok, you know, feeling the way you do," Anna prompted looking up at her sister with a small smile, unshed tears making her blue eyes practically glow in the dim light. "It's ok to feel lonely, but you don't have to _be_ alone anymore."

"Anna," Elsa said taking her sister's face in her hands once more and leaning close, "I'm not lonely. I have you and Kristoff and Olaf and Sven. I have the family I always wanted, the sister I always needed. Why on earth would I need a man to make me happy when I have all of you?"

Anna didn't have an answer readily on hand, but she could see that, though her sister was smiling, the smile never reached her eyes, and it was her eyes that always told the truth when the queen lied. Elsa was lonely, had been for years even after the Great Freeze.

"I just think—"

"Hey, there you are!"

Both sisters turned to see Kristoff wobble around the corner and totter towards them. He was obviously intoxicated but not so much that his speaking and basic walking skills were terribly impaired. He weaved once before righting himself and smiling his customary goofy smile.

"I wondered where you two got off to."

"Just some girl time," Anna said helping her husband to the railing. "Are you ready for round three?"

Kristoff made a face and attempted to swat Anna away but only managed to land his hand atop her chest which seemed to please him greatly. "No more dancing. My feet are killing me. I don't know how you royals do it at _every_ party."

"Let's not forget, you're a royal too now, and we just happen to have tough constitutions," Elsa said straightening. A sly smile began to spread across her lips. "Which is something I thought mountain ice harvesters were famous for, or so you boast on a regular basis."

"Hey, I'll have you know that my constitution is plenty strong. You may have tough feet, but we ice men have bear paws for hands and reindeer backs for shoulders."

"Sounds positively…primeval," Elsa teased. "Are there other body parts that are represented by various animals, or does it stop at hands and shoulders?"

Kristoff opened his mouth to retort, but Anna swept in before he could further embarrass himself, verbal jousting with Elsa was like fighting a hurricane with a kite, and locked their lips together. Things progressed quickly from there, hands wandering and their kiss deepening, until Elsa was forced to blast the two with a wave of arctic snow, wrenching two oh-so-satisfying screeches from them both.

"What was that for?" Kristoff said shaking ice from his hair.

"Oh hell that's cold," Anna said bounding from foot to foot, shaking her hands in an attempt to warm them.

"A reminder that you two are still in public," Elsa said with a perfectly arched eyebrow, "and also in the presence of your queen. If you insist on getting…physical…please excuse yourselves to your quarters."

Anna pressed her lips together in a thin line, attempting to hide the embarrassment and mirth warring inside her. She seemed to come to a sudden decision and jumped up, dress twirling around her as she spun to look at her husband.

"Our Queen is right," she said stepping away from Kristoff and making for the door. Before she crossed the threshold, she looked back at him over her shoulder and gave the mountain man the most seductively evil look she could muster. "If we're planning on getting _physical_ we should do it where no one can see or _hear_ us."

Elsa groaned and put her head in her hands as Kristoff leapt to his feet, previous intoxication forgotten, and chased after his bride. She watched them go, hand in hand, until they'd disappeared from view around a corner.

_Castle life has just gotten a whole lot more interesting…and loud, _she thought making her way back into the ballroom.

Too tired to continue the festivities, and with her sister on her way up to her begin her wedding night, Elsa decided it was time to retire and let the castle staff herd what was left of the party guests off to their proper nighttime destinations. She had just relayed this to one of the guards when movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Turning slowly, she watched with transfixed wonder as the couple twirling on the dance floor finished their last graceful steps to the music, bodies in near perfect sync. Elsa couldn't see who the gentleman dancer was, but the woman she knew to be one of the many visiting daughters of Duke Wellmore. The girl was a fairly decent dancer but was outmatched by the skill and grace of her male partner. To say he was fluid would have given fluidity a poor name. To say he was graceful and bold would have seemed cheap. Elsa had unparalleled access to the best tutors while growing up, and she'd only see one man with the ability to sweep across a ballroom like that, and he was six years dead. So to see such skill now stopped her in her tracks.

The couple came to a breathless standstill as the song finished with a resonating note. The man bowed deeply at the waist while the woman dipped into a low curtsey before skittering off to rejoin a cluster of woman huddled by the entrance doors. They greeted her with squeals of delight that Elsa could hear from across the ballroom, and she rolled her eyes.

_Some of these poor girls are hopeless. Give them one dance and they practically fall to pieces._

Shifting back towards the door, the queen was about to walk away when she noticed the young dancer was making his way towards her. Through the press of bodies she could see he was smiling and groaned internally.

_No, I will not dance with you, you self-serving peacock of a…_

"Captain…Revel?" Elsa said in stunned surprise as recognition dawned on her. Revel stopped a few feet from her and sketched a deep bow, right hand pressed to his stomach while the other disappeared behind his back. Somehow he made the sharp motion seem smooth, his body clicking into position like a well-oiled clock.

"One and the same, Majesty," the Captain said a little breathlessly, rising from his bow and flashing a broad grin that showed off his pearly white teeth and made his striking green eyes dance.

"I didn't know you were in attendance tonight," Elsa said looking around as if expecting the rest of her guards to suddenly appear in dress attire.

"Princess Anna insisted I come in plain clothes this evening," Revel said looking down at his surprisingly sharp suit and shrugging. "I must say, it feels strange being out of uniform and being part of the crowd for once."

_Lucky you, _Elsa though looking the guard captain over with a critical eye. Indeed, she hadn't recognized him while he was twirling Duke Wellmore's daughter around the dance floor. There had only been a few times the queen had interacted with the Captain after the attempt on her life a year ago, and he had always been in uniform, pressed purple jacket and pants with three gold braids hung from his right shoulder to show rank and status. His hair had always been slicked back with oil or hidden under his tall captain's hat, but today he wore it loose which allowed the chocolate locks to curl a bit in their natural wave. A coal black fitted jacket, matching pants, and moss green undershirt, complemented with a forest green sash, had replaced his uniform, showing off his broad shoulders and slender waist. It was a shock the queen hadn't been expecting. Even more surprising was that Revel seemed to carry himself with a natural ease even while in dress clothes. Sure he seemed as uncomfortable as anyone would be in a starched suit with a collar so stiff it could be used as a shovel, but the Captain disguised his discomfort well, and Elsa felt a new respect for the man beginning to grow.

"You have a natural grace, sir. I've not seen dancing like that in years," Elsa said with an appreciative nod.

"Thank you, Majesty!" Revel beamed, and it was like watching the sun break through a fog bank. "I would ask you to dance, but it appears you are on your way out."

Elsa looked over her shoulder at the surprisingly empty hallway and sighed, her weariness quickly catching up with her. "I was. This has been an eventful day, but I am ready to retire for the evening."

"Please, don't let me keep you from your rest. It was a delight to see you as always, Majesty," Revel said rolling into another perfect bow before snapping back to attention with a broad smile on his face.

Elsa bowed slightly and turned to leave, but, for some reason, had the uncontrollable urge to glance back as she made her way down the hallway. Revel was still standing in the doorway watching her go, but his jovial smile had slipped into something of a crestfallen frown. The change surprised the queen, but she glimpsed it for only a moment before a body passed in front of the Captain and he was lost from sight.

_That was…odd,_ Elsa thought as she glided through the entrance hall and mounted the spiral stairs leading to the residency wind. She was about to take the final turn towards her room and jumped in surprise when an ecstatic cry echoed down the hall.

"Oh for the love of God," she groaned and rubbed her temples with her thumb and forefinger. "Maybe sleeping in the library would be a safer choice tonight. Maybe moving my room to the other side of the castle would be best," she groused under her breath as another cry echoed down the hall.

The library was exactly where the queen headed, bypassing her sister's room where she and her husband were enjoying their first "official" night together and heading for the blissful solitude of old books and a warm fire.


	2. Chapter 2

Two weeks later, Anna and Kristoff departed for their honeymoon, chartering a small schooner that would take them around the coast so they could visit the different villages and towns currently under Arendelle's flag. The young princess was ecstatic about her chance to properly travel the kingdom, but Kristoff seemed less than enthusiastic and just as hesitant as the queen when Anna first suggested her idea a few days after the wedding.

"I'm sorry, but I'm more comfortable walking on solid water, not putting my life in the hands of a wood and tar boat."

"Oh, don't be so overdramatic. That's what I'm supposed to be. Anyway, schooners are lighter and easier to maneuver, and we'll be sticking to the coast, not sailing into the open ocean. The worst that could happen is we run aground and have to spend a few extra days getting home."

"Really? _Really_? Running aground is the _worst_ thing that could happen," Kristoff said, incredulously. He looked to his sister-in-law for help, knowing he couldn't win this fight alone, but the queen's face was an unreadable mask, and he sighed. If only he knew the trepidation she was feeling at the very thought of her sister and brother-in-law aboard a boat.

Elsa sat behind her dark wood desk that took up a large portion of her small study, hands clapped together so tightly atop a pile of fresh trade notes her knuckles were turning white. Why, in all of God's creation, did Anna want to _sail_ on her honeymoon? It wasn't like there weren't things the newlyweds could do in nearby towns or hamlets that were all easily accessible by carriage or sled. Hell, they could even take a trip to Kristoff's cabin up near North Mountain and visit her ice palace, but Anna was adamant about sailing the coast and wouldn't take no for an answer.

_Damn if she isn't as stubborn as Sven sometimes,_ Elsa thought watching her sister fold her arms across her chest and stare defiantly at her husband who returned her stare with as must gusto as he could manage. They remained like that for a handful of minutes, staring each other down like schoolyard rivals.

"Enough, the both of you," Elsa snapped and instantly regretted her tone of voice. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she turned towards the mountain man, cerulean blue orbs locking on his brown ones. "Kristoff, wouldn't you mind letting me speak with my sister alone, please?"

Kristoff glanced uncertainly at Anna, his eyes silently asking if it was alright for him to leave. The young princess, jaw clenched so tight her back teeth had begun to ache, nodded. Her husband rose slowly like a scolded child and made for the door, glancing back only once before stepping out and closing the door behind him with a click.

"Elsa, I know what you're going to say," Anna practically exploded the moment her husband was clear of the room, "and might I remind you that this is _my_ honeymoon and _I_ have a say in—"

"Why sailing, Anna?" Elsa said cutting her sister off without having to raise her voice. "With our family's history with ships, I'd have thought that would have been the last thing on your mind."

The young princess blinked, surprised her older sister wasn't raining down admonishments on her. There was genuine concern in Elsa's eyes, and Anna felt the room starting to dip in temperature the longer she remained silent. She realized with a flush of guilt that her older sister was scared and silently berated herself.

"I've always wanted to sail," Anna said quietly, looking down at her folded hands in her lap. "You know I love the sea, and I just thought that, since it's been so long since…. the accident, maybe I'd finally get to see why Papa couldn't get enough of the ocean. He and Mamma took their honeymoon on a schooner, so I just thought..."

Elsa felt herself deflate a bit, the cramps in her back lessening. It was true their father had had a love for the sea. King Andrew spent many summers sailing the coast, visiting towns and villages and bringing back wild tales that his daughters practically devoured. When they were young, Elsa and Anna used to plan their own voyages, charting the courses on their father's large table map, imagining all the different people they'd meet and the adventures they would share together. But the dream had died after Elsa went into isolation and their parents' death at sea ten years later. Now Anna wanted to continue the tradition by taking their honeymoon on a ship.

_Leave it to Anna to be the brave one._

"Alright," the queen said with another deep sigh. "I'll charter you two a schooner. Did you have a particular timeline in mind?"

Anna's eyes lit up like lanterns and she rushed over to her sister, sinking to her knees and wrapping her arms around Elsa's waist. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh, you don't know how much this means to me!"

"Call it a late wedding gift," the queen shrugged trying to push aside the ball of fear she felt nesting in the pit of her stomach like a coiled snake, agitating her arctic magic. It was easier to control now, but she still felt the onset of frost rising into her fingertips. Struggling to keep herself under control, she focused on the warmth of her sister's body wrapped around her waist, letting the heat combat the cold.

"How long did you want to be gone?"

"Two weeks, just like Mama and Papa. One week sailing to wherever we can get to, and one week coming back."

"Alright, I'll draw up the papers tonight and hire a captain and crew. Give me two days and the two of you can finally give me the reprieve I desperately need."

Anna's face exploded in a brilliant blush, and Elsa couldn't help but laugh. "Are we really that loud," she asked in a small voice.

"Dear sister, you could wake the dead. In fact, I'm pretty sure I saw grandfather wandering the halls last night looking for the banshee who had awakened him," Elsa teased. Anna groaned and put her face in her hands, burying it in Elsa's lap. The queen ran her long fingers through Anna's unbound hair, tracing the patch where the white streak used to be. It was strange, she didn't even notice it was gone unless she looked.

"Just…please promise me you'll stay safe," Elsa said in a near whisper, bending over to plant a kiss on the back of her sister's head. "I can't bear to lose you to the sea like we lost Mamma and Papa."

Anna snaked her arms around her sister's waist and held her tight, head still resting on her lap. "I promise nothing will happen."

Three days later the princess and her husband boarded a sharp looking schooner with crimson sails and a brilliant white hull, waving enthusiastically to Elsa and the few members of the castle staff who had come to watch them depart. It was just after noon when the happy couple made their way up the gangplank, bags having already been brought aboard earlier that morning and their honeymoon cabin prepared for them in advance. The queen stood at the edge of the docks, wind pulling at her modest purple dress and moving her loose braid off her shoulders. She waited until the anchor had been raised and the ship was well beyond the mouth of the fjord before turning and heading back towards the palace, three guard escort following at a respectful distance. More than once she stopped and glanced over her shoulder, watching the schooner drift further and further out of sight.

_They'll be fine. They'll sail around the coast, visit a few towns, and traumatize the crew when night falls. They'll be fine. It's only two weeks…_

Oh, how that thought echoed in her mind like a piercing scream in the night, and Elsa stopped dead in her tracks. Hadn't she thought the same thing when watching her parent's ship slip out to sea? A sudden wave of fear crashed over the queen, and it took everything in her not to ice the docks. Glancing at her hands, she wasn't surprised to see sparks of iridescent blue frost climbing her fingers and clenched her hands into tight fists, willing the magic back inside.

_Get control. Don't let it control you,_ Elsa thought screwing her face up and focusing. Eventually the ice subsided, her will stronger than her fear. Exhaling a shallow breath, the young queen continued walking, hoping no one had seen her moment of weakness.

What was left of the day Elsa devoted to getting some much needed paperwork done, signing trade agreements and goods shipping records until her hands were stained in black ink and cramped sporadically. Kia had brought her a small dinner and a bottle of wine a few hours before, but it sat untouched on its small silver tray next to her desk. She didn't have much of an appetite, but the wine was looking more and more appealing with each scratch of her signature. Finally giving in to temptation, the queen uncorked the bottle, a thirty year vintage if her tired eyes were reading the label correctly, and let the dark liquid slosh into the provided squat wine glass. Slowly, the natural aromas of aged berries, smoky oak, and vanilla began to fill the room as the bottle and glass breathed. After a few more seconds, Elsa took a long sip and sighed happily. Sometimes a glass of good wine was all it took to push the day's stresses away and allow her a moment's reprieve.

She'd never been one for alcohol, even after the Great Freeze. The queen had seen firsthand what too much alcohol consumption could do to a person, how it left them without control of their body or actions, and with a secret that could destroy the kingdom if her guard slipped for only a moment, her younger self had shied away from the beverage as much as possible. Still, there were times she couldn't get away with drinking water, and Elsa had found she like the taste of dark red wine over many other types of liquors. It wasn't until recently that she had begun drinking a glass every couple of days, usually while milling over paperwork, just to help take the edge off her stress.

Taking another long pull from her glass, Elsa moved over to the balcony doors and pulled them open, closing her eyes and enjoying the cool air. The sun had set hours ago, mostly without her noticing. Judging by the clock on her nearest bookshelf it was well past midnight. The stars were shining brightly overhead as she moved to the balcony's edge and set her glass down, folding her arms across her chest and leaning against the railing.

_I wonder how far out Anna and Kristoff are,_ she thought looking out over her kingdom, watching the light from hundreds of windows twinkle below her. Suddenly, Elsa had the uncontrollable urge to see the sea, to track the waves with her eyes and watch the clouds just to be sure things were alright. It wasn't as if she could control the weather, but she had to be sure. Spinning away from the balcony, half empty wine glass plucked from the railing and deposited back on the silver tray, the queen grabbed one of the thin dark cloaks she always kept on hand and threw it over her shoulders, hood pulled over her head to hide her distinctive hair.

She wasn't necessarily sneaking out. Since the castle and kingdom beyond were hers by right of rule, the queen could come and go as she pleased, but after the attempt on her life the amount of security around the castle had increased significantly. Elsa was usually followed by an armed escort whenever she ventured outside the castle grounds. It had been irritating at first having three metal clad guards clunking after her, pushing civilians out of her way in order to keep a wide perimeter around their queen. More than once she'd openly snapped at the men, beckoning whoever needed to speak to her to come closer and not caring the consequences. Elsa guessed that was another change that had taken place after the assassination attempt. Her level of personal fear had lessened considerably. She still worried over her family, that anxiety would never go away, but fear for her own personal safety just wasn't as prevalent anymore. She'd faced death and lived and became stronger for it. But no matter her feelings, the royal guards' entire existence was to keep their queen safe from harm at any costs, or so Captain Revel had said when she demanded her escort disbanded the first time they'd accompanied her.

"You are the Queen, Majesty, and we are sworn to protect you. I'm sorry if my escort is inconvenient, but it is necessary. After what happened during the spring festival—"

"Don't remind me what happened, Captain. I remember better than most," Elsa had seethed in the Captain's office, indignant rage making her shoulders burn and palms itch with arctic frost.

"Of course, Majesty, but it is still a good idea for you to have an escort."

"And if I disband your escort and order your men and _you_ to stand down, what will you do? Will you defy my wishes and hide behind the guise that you know what's best for me?" Elsa barked and instantly regretted her words because she immediately realized where her anger was coming from. This all stemmed back to her parents. They'd done what they had thought was best for their child which turned out to be the worst thing.

"We will always do as ordered, Majesty. _I_ will do as ordered," Revel said in a level voice that barely hid his frustration, "but I hope you will see reason. We only want your safety and the safety of the princess." Then the Captain had taken a risk and raised his eyes, green gems locking on Elsa's cerulean blue orbs. "But please do not assume that my guards, or myself personally, would ever presume to tell you what is best for you and your family. We are here to protect, not council."

Elsa felt as if she'd been slapped and felt her face reddening. Of course Revel was right, damn him. If she ordered the escort disbanded he would obey her without hesitation like any other loyal subject, but that wasn't the right course of action to take. She saw the benefit of the escort, just hated how vulnerable it made her look.

"Forgive me, Captain. I am not in the right frame of mind at the moment," Elsa said folding her hands in front of her and dipping her head slightly. "Of course you are correct, and I would never presume to tell you how to do your job. Please, continue the escort, but inform your men they are not to engage civilians unless they pose a direct threat to me or my family, understood?"

"Of course, Majesty. I will tell my men to be as discrete as possible."

Elsa had taken her leave then, feeling all the world like the biggest fool in the kingdom for taking out her frustrations on the castle staff.

But that had been almost a year ago, and Elsa had come to tolerate her escort, ignoring them as best she could when she made trips into town or to the docks. Tonight, however, she would not be leaving the castle but still wanted a level of privacy she couldn't get if the patrol guards noticed she was walking the parapets.

Slipping out the servants' door located just left of the Great Hall, the queen padded down the long hallway, burgundy carpet unrolling under her slippered feet, and took the first corner on her right. A set of double door awaited her which would lead to a small windowless chamber with black marble floors. That chamber would lead to another carpeted hallway, this one made of the same sand colored stone of the perimeter wall. Elsa slid through the final hallway like a phantom and was relieved to see that the guard usually stationed next to the parapet door wasn't at his station. She'd timed it perfectly, getting there before the next shift arrived. Carefully opening the heavy wooden door, Elsa moved into one final anti-chamber before stepping out into the open air of the south most perimeter wall.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness. The anti-chamber housed a single bright lantern hung from a rot iron hook which effectively made her night blind the second she'd stepped past it, but eventually she grew accustomed to the darkness and glided along the wall, hands trailing the rough stone as she skirted the pools of light cast by more hanging lanterns.

The parapets were the only place in the entire kingdom, save for the Overlook and her ice castle, that the queen felt entirely unrestricted. A sheer thirty foot drop on either side of the wall made it feel as if she were walking on a sky bridge that slowly climbed the mountain side like the back of a massive stone wyvern. Rolling gust of wind broke over the left side of the wall, pulling at her cloak until it flapped beside her like a flag. Elsa leaned into the roaring air and felt a wild smile split her face. As the gust died down, she looked out over the fjord, song soft waves lapping the rocky shore below like a lullaby.

_Tonight everything seems right with the world, _Elsa thought continuing down the long stretch of stone walkway.

She didn't see him at first, his dark clothes effectively blending him in with the shadows as seamlessly as if he were a phantom, but the queen thought she'd heard someone speaking and slowed her stroll. Edging closer, the outline of a man leaning against the perimeter wall came into focus. The glint of something metal flashed in the moonlight, and Elsa froze, heart in her throat, her mind suddenly flashing back to that day at the spring festival when a flash of metal had been her only warning that a dagger was about to slide under her ribs. The man mumbled something, a prayer maybe, and the sound of liquid being poured from a container filled the space between the queen and the stranger, and she mentally exhaled.

_Well, I don't think he's going to stab me to death with a flask,_ Elsa thought relaxing fractionally, glancing over her shoulder at the entrance door yards behind her. There were really only two courses of action she could take at this moment. Either turn and walk away or announce her presence, effectively ending her private nighttime walk. Thinking it best to play it safe, Elsa turned but must have made some type of sound because the man raised his head, startled.

"Majesty?"

The young queen cursed under her breath, wondering what had given her away. The light flapping of her hood against her shoulder blades provided an answer.

_Betrayed by the wind, isn't that ironic._

The man fumbled with what sounded like a box of matches seconds before a tiny flame appeared in an equally small lantern, illuminating the space between the two in weak orange light. It was then that Elsa saw who was with her on the parapets and sighed inwardly.

"Good evening, Captain Revel."

"Likewise, Majesty," Revel said ducking into a shallow bow. His eyebrows creased with confusion, and she saw his quick smile disappear into a frown. "Why are you up here?"

"I didn't realize I needed a reason to wander my castle," Elsa said with a slight raise of her chin. Revel winced and looked away.

"Apologies, that came out wrong. I meant to ask, why are you up here at such a late hour? Is everything alright?"

"I came to enjoy the night air," she said offhandedly, not willing to divulge the real reason she was wandering the castle after midnight in a dark cloak. Revel took her answer with a nod. Elsa slowly closed the distance between them and caught the scent of strong brandy when the wind shifted. "Have you been drinking?"

Revel was quiet for a moment before nodding silently, returning to his lean against the railing and looking out over the fjord with far away eyes.

"Yes," he said in a quiet voice and seemed to deflate like water skin with a hole in it. Judging by the slump of his shoulders he wasn't at all proud of the fact.

"May I ask why my guard captain has taken to drinking on the parapets alone in the dark?" Elsa didn't know why it mattered, why she even cared, but something about the sad set of his face and the haunted look in his eyes piqued her curiosity. It didn't even cross her mind to ask whether or not he was still on shift. The queen new the Captain was a professional man and would never break the covenant and commandments all the guards lived by.

"Forgive me, but it's a private matter, Majesty," Revel said even more quietly.

Elsa sighed and leaned against the parapet as well, elbows scraping the rough stone. The waters of the fjord were calm tonight, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. A fat half-moon hanging lazily in the deep blue black heavens turning the rippling water a brilliant silver. For a long while the two stood in a fragile silence, the sound of nature the only voice heard circling them.

"How long has it been?" Elsa asked quietly, closing her eyes as the wind buffeted her and cooled her skin. Revel shifted around to look at her, a guarded look on his face.

"I'm not sure I follow, Majesty."

"You were pouring libations when I walked up on you. It took me a minute to puzzle it out. I know that people only pour for lost loved ones."

Revel flinched as if struck and looked down at his folded hands, silver flask sitting next to his right elbow. How much brandy had he had tonight? The flask had to be three quarters of the way empty, but he hardly felt the effects of the alcohol, his head still to achingly clear. The Captain should have expected his queen to understand what he'd been doing, she hid a razor sharp intelligence behind her arctic beauty, but hearing someone name the act out loud made him feel foolish.

"Today is the ten year anniversary of my father's death," Revel said in a voice so laden with grief Elsa felt her heart ache and silently berated herself for even asking.

_People can have secrets too. Just because I'm queen doesn't mean I'm privy to them._

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I shouldn't have pried. I'll leave you to your thoughts and prayers." Elsa turned to leave but felt a warm hand brush hers. Curiously, she looked down and found the Captain's fingers laying over top hers. Revel seemed to realize what he'd done a half second after Elsa and snatched his hand away, an expression of utter horror on his face.

"Forgive me, Majesty. I didn't mean…perhaps I've had too much to drink tonight. That was out of line, and I humbly apologize. My manners are deplorable this evening."

"It's alright Captain," Elsa said trying not to roll her eyes. Why was it that whenever anyone accidentally bumped, nudged, or touched her they immediately kowtowed as if she were going to freeze them on the spot? It was actually quite humbling knowing her presence was appreciated and needed by the guard captain, royal formality be damned.

"No, Majesty, it's not. I was out of line to—"

"I will let you know if you've crossed a boundary, Captain," Elsa said with a sideways smile. Revel relaxed fractionally, the tension still plainly visible in the set of his shoulders and how tightly he clenched his fists in front of him.

"If _I'm_ not being to bold, how did he die?" the queen said returning to her lean against the parapet. For some odd reason she felt comfortable around the Captain. Perhaps because they were acquaintances, or because she knew how highly Anna spoke about him, but she didn't feel the need to be as guarded as she did around most other people.

"He was murdered…for his purse," Revel said in the dry voice of a man who had shed so many tears over the years he'd become numb.

Elsa felt a shock work through her system as she recognized his tone, recognized the deadness in his voice and eyes, and her heart went out to him. Here was a man who could identify with the pain of her past, with the fear and guilt and anger she still felt in the deepest, darkest depths of her soul. Just the knowledge of there being a kindred spirit so close to her made the young queen feel giddy. However, none of this showed on her face. Instead there was genuine sadness for Revel's loss.

"I'm so sorry," was all she could say, and it made her slightly angry. How comforting were those three words really when spoken to a person who'd lost someone precious to them? It was an almost automatic reaction when faced with something unpleasant. A mumbled 'I'm sorry' and that was somehow supposed to be a salve to the pain, but really it was just a cover for the person speaking. It made them feel like they were doing something productive, like they were actually helping the wounded party, but in reality it was just a cover. At least that's how Elsa saw it, and she hated that she too participated in the cover.

Revel nodded like he understood, like her words meant something, but the queen knew otherwise and grew quiet, watching the cold stars twinkle in an endless sky as the half-moon made its lazy journey across the heavens. After a while, Revel let out what sounded like something between a laugh and a strangled hiccup, face nearly hidden in shadow again as the small candle set between them dwindled.

"You'd think that after ten years the pain would somehow be less. I come up here every year on the anniversary and pour a drink for him into the sea. I know where he is he can't partake in my libation, but it somehow makes his loss seem somehow…easier to manage." Revel turned to look at the queen, and she saw the unshed tears reflected in his eye by the light of the dying candle. "I'm sorry, Majesty. This isn't pleasant conversational material."

"May I be candid with you, Captain?" Elsa asked without pulling her gaze away from the fjord.

"Of course."

"The pain of my parent's death is still very difficult for me to bear sometimes, especially on the anniversary. The ice sculptures I made for them last year was my first real step towards healing, but there are days where just the memory of them aches so keenly I can barely stand it. I understand your pain better than most, and my heart goes out to you. The loss of a parent isn't something easily dealt with, and I hope someday soon you'll find the peace you've been searching for."

Revel looked genuinely shocked by her words. He hadn't known what to expect when he'd started babbling, the words vomiting out of his mouth involuntarily, but it certainly wasn't sympathy or understanding. He cleared his throat a number of times before he found his voice again.

"Thank you, Majesty." Revel was silent for a few moments before he could work up the courage to say more. "May I ask you a question?"

"Does it pertain to courtly happenings or the noise complaint coming from the residency wing," Elsa asked with as much seriousness as she could muster, which wasn't much since she couldn't fight the grin off her face.

"I…there's been a noise complaint?"

"Newlywed issues," Elsa said with a grave nod. Revel finally realized what she was alluding to and chuckled.

"Ah, and here I thought an animal had escaped into the castle again without my knowledge."

"If you listen to how Kristoff describes his 'constitutions' he has quite a few animalistic body parts," Elsa laughed. Revel seemed at a loss for words which only made the queen smile more. "Sorry, inside joke. What were you going to ask?"

"Oh, yes, um… Again, forgive me if I'm being to bold but, why is it you feel the need to wander the castle grounds during early morning hours?"

"And what makes you think I do?" Elsa asked with an incredulous air.

"Majesty," Revel said with a slight cock to his eyebrow, "there are only two reasons a black cloaked figure would be seen wandering the grounds at night. One, some nefarious individual has somehow gotten past my patrols, or two, a young queen insists on making certain my patrols are kept sharp by guising herself like said nefarious individual."

Elsa felt the corners of her lips turn up. _So the Captain does have some wit to him._

"It's the latter of the two, I'm afraid," Elsa said with a nonchalant shrug. "I feel your skills at command are lacking, so I disguise myself as various persons and wander at night waiting to be apprehended or shot. It's a game really, seeing how many of your men I can startle before skittering back into the darkness while cackling like some woodland sorcerous."

"Ah, I see," Revel said unable to hide his smile. Elsa smiled too seeing the sadness break from the Captain's face. "Well, that makes much more sense. I'll be certain to tell the men not to shoot said dark cloaked figure if they should see it skittering around the halls."

"Thank you. I'd prefer not to die with a crossbow bolt through my chest." Elsa chuckled and moved away from the edge of the parapet. "Well, I'm afraid the hour grows late, Captain, and duties await me on the morrow. If you'll excuse me," she ducked into a shallow bow, one which Revel returned.

"If you'd like, Majesty, I could escort you to your chambers."

A wicked grin slashed across Elsa's face and she folded her arms against her chest. "Will you now, Captain? And what will you do once you've gotten me to my room, pray tell."

Revel didn't pick up on her meaning until a half-heartbeat later and flushed a brilliant scarlet red. The queen knew she was being inappropriate but somehow couldn't bring herself to care.

"That's not at all what I meant," Revel mumbled.

"I know, Captain. Forgive me, I fear my sister's snark is rubbing off on me. If you feel the need to escort me, I won't stop you and would even enjoy the company."

"If you're certain, I wouldn't want—"

"My evenings have become quite empty now that Anna and Kristoff are gone, so having an excuse to pull myself away from hours of endless paperwork would be greatly appreciated," Elsa said moving towards the entrance door at a leisurely stroll. Revel jogged to catch up with her, stowing his flask back inside the folds of his dark coat, a half smile pulling at the corner of his lips.


	3. Chapter 3

It quickly became a nightly ritual while Anna and Kristoff were away. Elsa would leave her study or the library somewhere around midnight and meet Revel on the parapets where they would engage in light conversation or walk in complete silence depending on the day. The queen was beginning to discover that the Captain was a naturally quiet individual, much like herself, perpetually thinking unless drawn into conversation. His introversion was comfortable to be around since the Elsa didn't feel the pressing need to find things to talk about, just letting her feet wander where they would. Eventually the Captain began to thaw, and their conversations grew deeper and less superficial.

"So you came to Arendelle when you were fifteen and joined the castle guard a year later?' Elsa asked as they made their way down the perimeter wall at a lazy stroll, a light mist pricking the air with moisture.

"I did. After my father's death there really wasn't a reason to remain at home. My mother died years earlier when a flux swept through our village, so I no longer had anything keeping me there. Arendelle was the closest and largest kingdom, so I naturally migrated here looking for work. For a while I was a dock worker until a position in the guards opened up, in which case the rest is history."

"You didn't have any other family in your village?"

Revel went quiet which Elsa had come to recognize was the Captain delving into his thoughts. It happened quite a few times during their nightly discussions. She'd ask a question and Revel would stop talking entirely, shifting his gaze to the fjord or looking out over the kingdom with far away eyes. Sometimes she could catch glimpses of raw emotion beneath his carefully placed mask, the barest hint of sadness, or anger, or regret, or happiness but always he returned to himself and answered her question to the best of his ability. The queen was under no disillusion that the Captain had secrets he didn't want her knowing about, and sometimes his answers were veiled or vague.

"I had two brothers. After father's death we…grew apart in the worst ways."

Elsa nodded but didn't press the matter of family. She knew all too well what it felt like pushing a sibling away and didn't want the Captain to have to relive that pain again.

"So if you were a dock worker for a year, what made you want to become a guard?"

By now the two had climbed as high as they could, two hundred or so feet above Arendelle kingdom. This high and the wind was a constant companion, pulling and pushing the two with strong hands. More than once Elsa had to brace herself against the perimeter wall to keep from toppling over the side. Below she could see the fogbank that had overtaken her kingdom only a few minutes ago, thick clouds creeping along the ground as they rolled in from the sea, turning lantern and window light into smothered specks of gold.

"A couple of reasons. When I was younger, I would spend a majority of my day watching the guards in my village train. Because of where I lived at the time, I could sit on the wall surrounding my home and watch the men go through drills in the castle courtyard. I'd try to emulate them and quickly found that I had a knack for swordplay. Having two brothers, I was also fairly decent at grappling. My father had been against me learning combat, in his mind I needed to be more concerned about my studies, but, being a rambunctious twelve year old, I wouldn't listen and snuck out to train with a few guards willing to teach me."

_Ah, so that's why Anna has such a like for you, Captain,_ Elsa thought glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. _Birds of a feather._

"It was just fun and games while I was young, but after father's death something changed within me," Revel said and his voice trailed off. Unnoticing, he ran a hand through his thick wavy hair, the moisture in the air clinging to his chocolate locks and gluing them loosely against his scalp. Why did he have this compulsion to talk so freely about his past with the queen? He could have stopped at any time, could have skirted her questions, but he had such a powerful feeling of relief and release when speaking to her it was hard to stop. It was strange yet comforting at the same time. He'd spent so many years submerging himself in his training and climbing the political ladder until he'd been named Captain in his twenty fifth year, a feat not done in the Arendelle guard in at least fifty years, and through it all no one had bothered to ask where he'd come from or why he wanted to be a guard so badly.

Elsa stopped walking a little ways away from Revel after noticing he'd stopped. Slowly she turned and watched him for a few silent moments as he stared out over the fog consumed city, eyes once again distant. "You don't have to talk about this with me, you know."

"Pardon?" Revel looked up as if surfacing from a dream. "Apologies, I sometimes get lost in my thoughts."

"Believe me, I know the feeling," Elsa said walking back to him but maintaining a respectful distance. "I also know that memories can be painful things to recall, so don't feel pressured into telling me things."

"Thank you, Majesty. You are too kind, but what I was going to say," Revel continued with a slow breath, "was after my father's death I had this compulsion to never feel helpless again. He'd been stabbed coming home from an event in the village, dying only feet from our home. I blamed myself for his death because I was meant to accompany him that evening but had snuck out to train instead. If I had been there, I could have protected him, I could have done _something_. So I decided a week after his burial that I would never feel that level of helplessness again. I wanted to protect people from evil men like the man who murdered my father."

Elsa could practically feel the vehemence rolling from the Captain's words, each syllable dripping with venom. He was angry, at both himself and the man responsible for his father's death, but there was more. Revel seemed to blame himself for the death entirely. His eyes twinkled in the dim light of the lantern he carried in his hand, anger making the striking green color glint like hard gems. Elsa reached out without realizing it and put a hand on his shoulder, mouth pressed into a thin line.

"Justice is a fickle thing, Captain, but I believe the man responsible for your father's death will meet an ugly demise as befitting his actions."

A new emotion crossed the Captain's face, and not one the young queen had expected to see. Sadness mixed with a little bit of fear, but they were gone a heartbeat later, replaced with a soft smile that hardly reached his eyes.

"I didn't know a member of the royal family would believe in Karma."

Elsa snorted and continued walking back towards entrance door two hundred yards away, cloak pulled tight over her shoulders as the wind picked up. "Karma, fate, circumstance, they are all the same thing, aren't they?"

"It's just a very Eastern way of thinking. Wouldn't it be better to say that God will pass judgment on the man upon the moment of his death?"

It was Elsa's turn to stop walking, and she turned to face the Captain. "I believe we are judged in the here and now for the sins we commit in the here and now, and that our hell is of our making. Evil men receive their just rewards as surely as good men, and we do not need to wait on a deity to pass judgment until the moment of death."

Revel stood very still, hands at his side, mouth suddenly, achingly dry. "Isn't that…isn't that heresy, Majesty?"

Elsa regarded him with a cool stare that seemed to piece his flesh and bone, her cerulean blue orbs practically glowing in the darkness. The Captain felt the wind pick up again but there was a bite to it now, a bitter chill swirling around him like a dervish, and he shivered, pulling his cloak closed in an attempt to combat the cold. Somehow he knew Elsa was doing this, and it made the fear nestled in the pit of his stomach squirm. He'd made her angry.

"Is it heresy to believe that when the sun sets the moon will rise?"

"No, Majesty," Revel said in a small voice. He could see his breath hovering in front of his mouth with each exhale.

"Is it heresy to believe that when the full moon rises the tides will pull back?"

"No, Majesty."

"Then it is not heresy to believe that when a man commits a heinous crime he will find justice in this life as well as in the afterlife, but it will come from this life first. The same for a good man. He will be rewarded in this life first, though not necessarily in the ways he expects."

"Forgive me, Majesty. I didn't mean to offend you."

Elsa took a breath and reined in her arctic magic like a carriage driver pulling hard on a team of horses. She knew Revel hadn't meant to anger her, but the very word heresy put such a fear in the queen she instantly reacted as if being held at knife point. It had been a terrifying subject taught by her tutors and bishop Arren during her younger years. Heretics were often rooted out and tortured to death just because they thought differently from the Church, and growing up with supernatural powers that could very easily be viewed, through a cold religious eye, as a curse from the devil himself, Elsa had sought to make herself as pious as possible. It was just another mask she kept in place while being molded to fit the role of queen. In the privacy of her mind, she oftentimes disagreed with the Church's philosophies and fundamentals, using her time in the library to research other religions and gleaning wisdom from other religious affiliates. It was heretical work and a secret she would never divulge to anyone, even her sister.

"It's alright, Captain," Elsa said icily and turned back towards the entrance door. Revel walked a few steps behind, berating himself for being perhaps the biggest fool in Arendelle. He'd almost accused the queen of being a heretic, a crime, should she view it that way, that could very easily lead to his beheading. Swallowing the growing lump in his throat, he followed the queen until they reached the entrance door and pull it open for her, eyes downcast as she glided by.

"Good night, Majesty."

"Good night, Captain," Elsa said over her shoulder and disappeared through the anti-chamber door without a backwards glance. Revel let out a long sigh and closed the parapet door and leaned against it, eyes cast towards the heavens. Despite the fog swallowing the city, a few cold stars winked at him from between the rolling clouds, and he let out another long sigh, the cold final leaving him.

"Ah father, are you laughing at me right now? You always said I had a way with words."

The next afternoon a schooner with crimson sails and a white hull docked in Arendelle harbor, and Elsa couldn't have been more relieved or happy to see the small ship bouncing on the waves as the small crew lashed the sails and lowered the gangplank. Two weeks had practically flown by without her noticing. With her nightly walks with Revel to look forward to, the days had sped by, the endless loads of paperwork and meetings nothing more than a mild irritation now that she had something to occupy her evenings. But after her behavior last night, with how she'd left the Captain, Elsa didn't know if she could face him again. She knew she shouldn't have gotten angry, but fear had once again ruined a perfectly pleasant evening. Sighing inwardly, the queen watched from the end of the dock as Anna and Kristoff emerged from the ship and made their way towards her.

Kristoff raised a hand in greeting, but Anna did not. Elsa felt a frown crease her forehead as she watched the newlyweds draw near. Her sister looked thinner somehow, and her skin had an ashy grey pallor to it. The queen also noticed that Kristoff had his left arm snaked around her waist as if he were holding her up, and Elsa's puzzlement turned to concern.

"Ah, there's nothing better than having familiar soil under my feet. Well, dock wood, but you know what I mean," Kristoff said coming to stand in front of Elsa. His smile was quick and a little forced as he maintained his grip on Anna.

"I'm glad to see that the two of you made it back in one piece," Elsa said hugging her brother-in-law before turning to her little sister. "Anna, what's wrong. You don't look well."

"I'm fine," the princess said with a casual wave of her hand.

"She's been sick for three days," Kristoff said by way of answer when Elsa shot him questioning a look. "We don't know if it was something she ate or something she picked up while traveling; though I told you not to eat that market fish, but you wouldn't listen."

"There was nothing wrong with the fish," Anna groaned.

"It was a fish with the head of a sheep! Anything that has mixed animal parts is highly suspicious!"

Anna opened her mouth to retort when suddenly her face lost its color and she shoved Kristoff aside, running for the edge of the dock where the ship bumped the wood as the waves rolled under it. One hand against the crimson hull, the young princess vomited into the harbor.

"I swear to God, I've got nothing in my system to throw up anymore," Anna gasped leaning against the hull, sweat prickling her pale brow. Elsa stepped next to her and rubbed her back gently, letting her cool hands sooth Anna's fevered skin. Again the young princess heaved into the harbor but nothing came up but stomach bile.

"You're going to see the Physician immediately," the queen said snaking an arm around her little sister's shoulders and guiding her away once the vomiting had stopped. She expected Anna to put up a fight, to grouse or pout, but the princess only nodded weakly and allowed herself to be led away. Elsa ordered her sister and Kristoff's things to be brought into the Great Hall and left the crew to handle the rest. It didn't take long to reach the medical wing of the castle, and already there was a white clad apprentice waiting for the royal sisters when they arrived.

"Good afternoon, Majesties," the young woman said in a low curtsey. "Physician Brynja was notified by the schooner captain of Princess Anna's condition. She's already waiting to receive you."

"Very good," Elsa said stepping away from Anna after a quick hug. "I'll be waiting in my study."

Anna nodded weakly and followed the apprentice through a set of low green doors, head down and shoulders slumped. Elsa watched her go with a mix of concern and anxiety warring in her stomach.

The princess had never been a sickly child, the hours she spent outside in the sunlight strengthening her body against most illnesses. There had only been one instances Elsa remembered where the princess had become ill enough for the Physician to be called. Anna had come down with a nasty flu and had collapsed during one of her riding lessons, very nearly cracking her skull open when she'd fallen from the horses back. Elsa remembered seeing the white clad apprentices' race past the dining room where she was studying with her language tutor one spring afternoon. They returned a few minutes later with Anna on a cloth stretcher, her tiny hand dangling over the edge as they made for the medical wing. Elsa jumped up from her studies and bumped into her father as she swung around the corner.

"They say she may have hit her head, but it's the fever that has them worried."

Elsa had wrung her gloved hands as she watched the cluster of apprentices disappear from sight, taking her sister with them. She could feel the cold starting to seep into her hands and for once wished she could do something with her magic. Maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to fight the fever. But no, her powers could only harm, and she pushed the ridiculous idea from her mind.

Still, her fear wasn't entirely rooted enough to keep the young queen-to-be from sneaking out of her room that night and padding down to Anna's quarters, opening her door without making a sound. Her little sister lay sleeping in her bed, a white bandage wrapped around her head. Elsa approached cautiously, making sure not to step on any floorboards that might creek, and stood next to her sister's bed. She could see the flush of fever in her little Anna's cheeks and sheen of sweat coating much of her exposed skin.

"I'm so sorry, Anna," Elsa whispered, gloved fingers curling into the comforter. The little princess mumbled in her sleep, face scrunched in what could have been a pained expression, a small whimper escaping her parted lips. Biting her lip, Elsa looked over her shoulder just to make sure no one was there before slipping off her gloves and calling her magic into her hands. A small ball of iridescent blue appeared at the center of her palm, hovering ever so slightly above her skin on a pillow of super cold air. With the flick of her wrist the ball shot skyward a few feet before exploding in a shower of blue and white sparks, arctic air washing over the two sisters. Elsa held her breath, not daring to breathe in case it tipped the balance of her power and suddenly froze Anna like she feared, but the little princess seemed to instantly relax and shifted into a more comfortable position.

"I love you, Anna," Elsa whispered, planting a kiss on the girl's now cool cheek and quickly moved out of the room before someone caught her. Before she shut the door, she heard Anna shift again.

"Love you too, Elsa," the little princess slurred, but whether it was in answer to a dream or the young queen-to-be's words was left unknown.

Elsa quickly shut the door and scrambled back to her room. She was never able to work up the courage to help her sister like that again, but it was one of the few warm memories she had of her childhood while locked away in seclusion.

Watching Anna disappear behind the green doors of the medical wing, Elsa felt the sudden urge to reach out and help her sister in any way possible, whether it be magical or otherwise.

_She's in good hands. Let the professionals do their jobs,_ she thought and forced herself to leave the wing and return to her study. There would be no work getting done today, she could already tell, but at least here she could pace without anyone seeing.

Two hours later a knock sounded at her door, and Elsa beckoned whoever was there to enter. She'd finally settled down enough to sign a few treaties and looked up from her papers as Anna walked in. The young princess looked as if she were in a daze, eyes glassy and distant. Elsa rose slowly, returning her quill pen to its holder.

"What did the Physician say?"

Anna shuffled towards the low couch against the far wall as if not hearing her sister. She was just about to pass the first wingback chair in front of the fireplace when her knees buckled and she stumbled. Elsa rushed to her side, nearly knocking over her chair in her haste.

"Anna, what's wrong? What did she say?" The queen was growing more panicked by the minute and felt the room's temperature dip. She guided her sister to the couch and helped her sit, sinking down in front of her. "Anna, what did she say?"

"I'm pregnant," the princess whispered, right hand clutching the front of her dress. Her words seemed to stir her from her stupor, and she looked up at her older sister, tears in her eyes. "Elsa, I'm pregnant."

The queen rocked back on her heels as if struck, eyebrows shooting up into her hairline. All she could think of was, _Already? It's only been a few weeks,_ but what came out instead was, "With what?"

Anna's mouth fell open as she quickly regained some semblance of control over herself. "A reindeer baby, didn't you know? Sven is going to be a proud father. What do you mean 'with what'? A baby, Elsa. A human, baby!"

"That's not what I…Anna are they sure?"

"Physician Brynja did a number of tests, did them twice actually, and they all came back positive. I'm going to have a baby," Anna said putting a hand gently on her stomach. Suddenly a smile lit her face, and tears rolled from her eyes. "Oh Elsa, Kristoff and I are going to have a baby!"

The queen smiled with her sister despite a whole new war of emotions taking place inside her. Anna was pregnant; the Frosberg line was safe and would continue with her children. That was good wasn't it? Isn't that want any ruling monarch wanted, the endless continuation of their line? If so, then why did she feel a sudden thrill of fear at the idea of their family expanding?

_There's going to be a child in this castle…a child around _me.

Then a more sinister thought.

_Oh god, what if it turns out to _be_ like me? What if the baby has powers? Mother and Father never did explain why I was born the way I was, but it had something to do with the bloodline. What if it continues with Anna's baby?_

"Elsa, are you listening to me?"

The queen shook herself, trying to be rid herself of the haunting thoughts pulling at her mind. "Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts again."

"You always do that when you're worried about something. What is it?"

_Damn if you aren't sharp as a razor sometimes,_ Elsa sighed inwardly.

Three years of being in each-others near constant presence had taught the royal sisters how to spot subtle signs of emotional or physical trouble. Anna was like an open book for Elsa, her mannerism and ticks easy to spot since her sister wore her heart on her sleeve. She knew when she was angry, or scared, or happy by just looking at the set of her shoulders and the way she expressed herself through her eyes. But the queen had been a difficult puzzle for the princess to crack at first. Eventually, Anna had found a chink in her sister's armor and slowly began peeling back the layers until she could read her sister as clearly as Elsa could read her. It all came down to shifts in her conversation, or dead spots if she retreated into her mind, the way she clenched her hands and the set of her jaw. And right now, Anna could tell Elsa was scared.

Knowing that denial of the princess's inquiry would lead to more prying, Elsa sighed and took her sister's hands in hers. "First let me say that I'm so happy for you. You always talked about having a big family, and here you are starting one, and with the man of your dreams no less. Papa would be so happy right now, and I think Mama would be in tears. This is the start of your life, Anna, and I'm so happy I can be a part of it."

Anna's smile was like sunshine, and Elsa reveled in it. But then it faded as the young princess's brow creased, her original question still hanging in the air between them. "There's a 'but' in there somewhere, I can feel it."

"Anna, what if the baby turns out to be like me?" Elsa said fighting to get her words out. "We don't know how the bloodline works. It skipped you; maybe it'll begin again with your baby."

"We don't know if your powers have anything to _do_ with the Frosberg bloodline," Anna said squeezing her sister's hands tightly. Yes, it was a fear the princess had when it came to having children, but it wasn't something she couldn't handle. She'd decided a long time ago, when she and Kristoff had begun seriously courting, that if they did make a child together and it was born with powers she wouldn't go the route her parents had and close it off from society. The child would be raised to accept their abilities and taught how to use them through sheer determination and force of will. The child would never, for a minute, be lead to believe their differences made them a monster or a freak.

"But it had to come from somewhere. Anna, how will you raise—"

"With love and acceptance," Anna interjected and took her sister's face in her hands. Elsa's skin was so cold it began to numb her palms, but Anna refused to let go, refused to let her sister sink further into her fears. This was a happy moment, and they would share it together.

"I won't make the same mistakes Mama and Papa did with you. I know now what they did was wrong, and a part of me hates them for it."

"Don't say that—"

"No, it's true. What they did was the worst thing a parent could have done. I can't remember the night when they took me to the trolls, but, from what you've described to me, they both were told that you needed to learn to control your powers. Fear was what would destroy you, and their fear very nearly did. I won't make that mistake with this little one. If he or she is born with powers like yours we will teach them how to control it and how to embrace it. It won't be a stain or a sin; it'll just be a natural part of them."

Elsa felt tears well in her eyes and pulled her sister close. Sometimes Anna could be the most annoying, brash, hot tempered, defiant person in all of Arendelle, but sometimes, like during moments like these, the young queen caught a glimpse of a deep rooted wisdom dwelling in her sister's soul. She could say the most profound things it would take Elsa's breath away, like it was doing now.

"I love you, Anna," Elsa said squeezing her sister as tightly as she could. Anna returned the embrace, nuzzling into the crook of the queen's neck.

"I love you to, Elsa." Then more quietly, "Do you remember when I told you at the wedding reception that it was the happiest day of my life?"

Elsa nodded.

"Well I was wrong. I think this moment is the happiest."

Elsa smiled and pressed her forehead against Anna's, feeling the warmth of her sister wash over her. "Do you have any names already picked out?"

Anna laughed and pulled back. "I _just_ found out."

"Please," the queen said rolling her eyes, "you used to name every frog in the castle fountains. I can't believe you've never thought about baby names."

"Maybe I have," Anna said making a face at her sister. A sudden knock at the door made the two turn, and Kristoff poked his head in a second later.

"There you are. I went to the medical wing, but they said you'd already left." He walked into the study and shut the door behind him, noticing for the first time the tears on his wife and sister-in-law's face. "What's going on?"

Elsa cleared her throat and stood, smoothing out the fabric of her dress with one hand while whipping the line of tears from her face with the other.

"I'll leave the two of you alone and go see where supper is." She glided across the room, stopped next to a bewildered Kristoff, and put a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at her, face full of concern, and she had to fight to keep her smooth mask in place. "God help you, Kristoff. You'll be in my prayers."

And with that she swept from the room, a huge smile on her face until she reached the spiral stairs and noticed the pair of patrol guards standing there. Her thoughts returned to last night's conversation with Revel, and her heart sunk a bit. Then another thought crossed her mind and she winced, realizing what she had to do.


	4. Chapter 4

Captain Revel rubbed his temples for the third time in an attempt to massage away the headache that had been plaguing him since awakening that morning. It had started out as nothing more than a mild ache behind his eyes but had very quickly escalated into a pounding throb that only worsened when he was in any sort of bright light or when he stared at the mounds of papers scattering his desk like tree dandruff.

_Is there any end to paperwork, or is this just a glimpse of what I should expect to find in hell?_

Indeed, the Captain had acquired quite a bit of work over the past few days. Recruiting season was already upon the kingdom, and the Captain had received at least sixty petitions to join the royal guard. Most of the candidates would be weeded out during drill week, the week of pure hellish torture all would-be recruits must participate in before the true training began, but that still meant sitting down with each individual candidate and gleaning what information he could from them about family history, illnesses, and any past crimes on the ledger in the House of Justice. And all of that required paperwork, and all of it was on top of patrol notices, citations and warrants that needed signing, dock receipts, and a hundred other things waiting within the stacks of crisp manila papers.

Groaning inwardly, Ravel attempted to pick up a stack of citations, mostly minor infractions with the more severe resting on the top, knocked another pile onto the floor with his elbow, and in an attempt to keep those precious papers from rolling away, dropped the citation stack. For a half a heartbeat he just stared at the scattering papers in numb disbelief. Today just wasn't going to be his day, he could already tell. The bad luck that had plagued him last night during his walk with the queen seemed to have followed him into the next day, and he knew all he could do was let it works its course. Too frustrated to do much else, Revel put his head down on his desk and closed his eyes. Relief washed over him as the muscles behind his eyes relaxed, relinquishing their strangle hold on his eyeballs and giving him just a few moments reprieve from the pain. He was just about to drift into a semi state of consciousness when there came a knock at the door, three sharp, loud raps that sent him sitting bolt upright out of instinct and caused a lance of pain to explode behind his eyes.

"Shit," Revel cursed, pushing his chocolate locks away from his forehead. No, this most just wasn't going to be his day.

"Bastian, I swear to fucking God," he said with a growl as he rose and crossed the small windowless chamber that was his office and pulled the door open with a yank, "if you ask if I've gotten your warrant signed one more damn—"

"Good afternoon, Captain," Elsa said with an arched eyebrow, hand folded neatly in front of her.

Revel felt the color drain from his face and automatically snapped into a sharp salute, back cracking painfully with the sudden jerky movement.

"Majesty."

"Have I come at a bad time?"

"No, Majesty, and forgive me for my coarse language. Had I know it was you—"

"Unless you've developed the ability to see through solid wood doors, an apology is not needed."

"Thank you, Majesty." Revel didn't relax any, but he did drop out of his salute and stepped aside so that the young queen could enter. Elsa did just that, taking in the small office with a glance. It was a simple room with hardly any decoration save for a few medals on plaques and a pair of crossed swords mounted above a modest fireplace. The Captain's desk was a chaotic mess of disheveled papers, some set into stacks while others sat loosely with its neighbors. The floor around the squat maple desk was dotted with discarded papers that fluttered and curled as the Captain closed the door behind them.

"Are you sure this isn't a bad time?" Elsa asked motioning at the disarray of paperwork. Revel blushed but didn't attempt to clean up his quarters, instead offering the queen a seat which she refused with a slight wave of the hand.

"If you don't mind, I'd prefer to remain standing. You, however, may sit."

Revel obeyed wordlessly, sinking back down into his most uncomfortable, unpadded wooden chair and folding his hands before him. "May I ask what brings you down to my office, Majesty? Is there a problem that needs taking care of?"

Elsa regarded the dark haired man for a few moments, choosing her next few words carefully. "I wouldn't necessarily call it a problem, though that depends entirely on who you speak to."

Revel gave the queen a quizzical look. "I'm not sure I follow, Majesty."

"Then I will speak plainly. My sister will no longer be participating in her nightly sessions with you."

The Captain felt his world tilt dangerously to one side and had to plant his hands on the desk to keep from toppling out of his chair. It felt as if the air had been sucked out of the chamber. The queen knew. He didn't know how she'd found out, he and Anna had been careful not to draw attention to themselves, but she knew. Suddenly the room was a bit too bright despite there only being a low burning oil lamp hanging beside his desk. Squeezing his eyes shut, Revel attempted to push his now screaming headache aside and focus on the here and now. What he said next could very easily determine where and how his career ended. He couldn't even fathom what the queen would do or had done to her sister now that she knew.

_Fuck my career, protect the Princess,_ he thought as his mind finally clicked into gear.

"Majesty please, it was my idea. I approached Princess Anna about the sparing lessons. She had offhandedly mentioned while watching a training session that she wanted to learn a few techniques, and I offered to teach her. She refused at first but I persisted. Please, Highness, if you have to be angry with someone be angry with me."

Elsa narrowed her eyes at the Captain, unsure of what he thought he was doing. She'd not expected this type of reaction from him. Admission yes, perhaps a little guilt at being caught, but he was acting as if confessing to a major crime. And to make matters worse, placing the blame entirely on himself was akin to committing suicide. She didn't know whether to be impressed or irritated.

"Captain," Elsa asked in a frigid tone, cerulean blue eyes hard as compact ice, "do you understand that lying to your queen, or any member of the royal family, is a crime punishable by death?"

Revel didn't bat an eyelash, didn't even flinch. "Yes, Majesty."

"Are you willing to gamble your life on a lie?"

"Everything was my idea, Majesty. Do with me what you will, but please do not be angry with Princess Anna." Revel stood slowly, his body numb from the neck down. This was it. This was the cumulating of his career right here. To serve faithfully for years only to throw himself onto the executioners block in order to keep the princess from harm. But was that what he was really doing? Was this just some antiquated form of nobility coming out in him, the urge to protect what he saw as the helpless maiden? The idea very nearly made him laugh. Anna was anything but helpless, three years of near constant nightly sparing tempering an already tough young woman into a force to be reckoned with. And hadn't the queen and her sister reconciled their past differences a long time ago? Surely this small secret wouldn't be enough to drive them apart again…could it? The thought made Revel nauseous. If he were solely responsible for the re-division of the royal family he didn't know if he could honestly live another day.

Elsa watched the Captain closely, studying every nuance emotion that flashed across his face. It surprised her Revel was so willing to, both figuratively and literally, throw himself on the sword. It was an old noble quality, one she wasn't sure all the guards under her command possessed, but was it nobility or just another form of self-harm? The question straddled such a vast grey area Elsa didn't know if she wanted to delve into it. Instead she took a breath to clear her head.

"I know you're lying, Captain," the queen said in a quiet voice. "And I know _why_ you're doing it. You think that by taking the blame you're somehow protecting my sister, but, I have to wonder, what you're trying to protect her from. Do you think I would do something to harm Anna?"

"Never, Majesty!"

"Then you're lying in order partake in some form of punishment? If you are dissatisfied with your current rank there are better ways to step down than this."

"No, I'm just—"

"Doing your duty," Elsa finished his sentence with a sigh and decided that it would be best to sit. Revel immediately sank into his own chair, his striking green eyes as wide as dinner plates. A faint smile began to curl at the corner of the queen's lips. "Captain, it is both comforting and unnerving to know that you would be so willing to protect my sister, to protect any of my family in such a way. I don't know whether or not to call it chivalrous or insanity, but I believe there is a measure of both in each. Still, I did not come down here today to doll out any punishment or berate you for keeping secrets from me. If we are being honest, I've known about your sessions with my sister for a year now."

"I…what?"

"It was during the night the second assassin tried to take my life. Anna fought him off until I awoke. It was Kristoff who informed me that my sister had been taking lessons from you for two years. I'll admit I was extremely angry with the both of you. To keep secrets from the queen is a treasonous offence, and if anyone had found out, or if Anna had been seriously wounded during a session, it would have been _your_ blood they would have cried for. You put yourself at great risk by teaching my sister how to fight, but I must thank you for it. Because of your teachings, Anna saved my life that night, and, in turn, you saved hers."

"I'm sure she would have fought the assassin off regardless of my tutelage," Revel said in numb disbelief. So apparently he wasn't going to die, not yet at least.

"Doubtful. Anna may be more rough and tumble than most princesses, but pitted against a professional assassin, I'm certain she and I would have lost our lives that night."

"You pay me to great an honor, Majesty."

"I give respect where respect is due, Captain." Elsa said with a nod. "Now, back to the matter at hand. The reason why my sister can no longer continue her lessons with you is because she is with child."

If it were possible, Revel's eyes grew wider and some color seemed to return to his cheeks. "This is wonderful news, Majesty!"

"Indeed, it is. I suspect Anna will come to tell you herself, but I wanted to make it clear that her lessons are to stop. I will not have my sister's child put in jeopardy, is that clear, sir."

"Yes, Majesty. I can honestly say that, had the princess come and told me first, I would have suspended her lessons until after the child was born."

"You are a professional man, Captain," Elsa said as she stood from her chair and straightened her dress. "I have no doubt you would have done what was best for my sister. I just wanted to make things clear. I know how persuasive Anna can be when she wants something."

Revel nodded and stood, opening the door for the queen and feeling like at any moment he could take off from the ground and fly. The weight of dread he'd felt only minutes ago had dissolved into nothingness, leaving him in a practically giddy mood. The queen was just passing over the threshold when she stopped and turned to him, so close he could see the light dusting of freckles over the bridge of her nose.

"Captain, the way we left things last night…it was wrong of me to have gotten angry with you."

"I very nearly accused you for committing heresy, Majesty. Had you not gotten angry I would have been worried."

"Regardless, I would like to speak with you privately this evening. There have been things on my mind recently…things that I believe you may be able to help me with."

Revel smiled, feeling warmth spread across his chest. So they were still friends, or at least close acquaintances. He would never assume he and the queen could ever pass beyond a professional relationship.

"Of course, Majesty," Revel said making sure to keep his voice low. "Our same spot then, say around midnight?"

"I'll be waiting," Elsa nodded and swept away, the scent of morning frost and mountain air trailing in her wake.

Elsa leaned against the southern parapet watching the small waves lap against the stony shore thirty feet down. It was a cloudy night, the cold stars swallowed up as storm clouds rolled in off the sea, a promise of rain hanging thick in the air. She'd gotten there a full hour before the Captain, compiling her thoughts as best she could. So much had happened in one day. Anna had come home only to discover she was pregnant, a message from the troll kingdom had arrived when Olaf had ridden back into town on Sven, the two had been spending quite a bit of time together over the two weeks Kristoff had been gone, detailing that Grand Pabbie wanted the two newlyweds to partake in a traditional troll wedding to solidify their marriage in the eyes of the clan. It would take a week for the ceremony to be complete, and though Elsa was loath to let Anna venture into the mountains now that she was with child, her sister had insisted they go, arguing that the trolls were just as much family as she was.

"Plus, we won't be leaving for a few days. Pabbie said he wanted to wait until the next lunar eclipse, which according to him is four days from now. Apparently it's powerful good luck getting married under a lunar eclipse."

"Powerful good luck," Kristoff confirmed with a solemn nod.

So, Elsa had reluctantly consented to let her sister go, but declined the offer to accompany them. There was just too much to do in Arendelle at the moment she couldn't pull herself away. Especially after receiving news about the trouble brewing in the neighboring kingdom of Evendelle. Apparently a powerful duke, angry with the rise in taxes on the wealthy, had rallied supporters and built himself a small army and marched on Evendelle, very nearly killing the king but succeeding in killing his wife and unborn child in their flight from the castle. The warband had been hunted down and executed for high treason, but the news had shocked Elsa in a way she hadn't been prepared for. All she could think about was, _what if that had been my sister killed in the attack while I lived? _That was why she needed to speak to the Captain tonight despite their prickly separation the previous evening.

She heard the heavy wood door close quietly and turned to see Revel walking toward her. He wore a burgundy oil cloak to protect against the oncoming rain but had changed out of his guard's uniform into something more casually comfortable. Under the cloak she could see he sported a dark brown or black vest overtop a green undershirt. His trousers were his customary black along with his boots which looked to have been shined recently. In his hand he carried an oil lantern already lit with a small orange flame dancing behind the glass cover.

"Good evening, Captain," Elsa said acknowledging him with a nod. Revel ducked into a slight bow, as was usual for him, returning upright with a broad smile on his face. He quickly took his place beside her, lantern set atop the wall.

"Same to you, Majesty. It looks as if we might be in for some rocky weather this evening."

"It does seem that way, doesn't it?" Elsa replied, eyes closed as she listened to the song of the wind echo through the mountains on either side of the fjord. The Captain joined her in their usual silent appraisal of the fjord and connecting sea, just enjoying the sound of nature's voice swirling around them. He knew the queen would speak when ready.

"There's been trouble in Evendelle recently," Elsa said after a long stretch of silence. She knew she was giving confidential information to someone of lower rank, someone she didn't know if she could fully trust, but she had to get her thoughts out before they ate her from the inside out.

"I've heard rumors from friends within the city," Revel said quietly. "Horrible rumors. The queen and her unborn child are dead and the king is inconsolable."

"The rumors are true. Queen Lastasha was killed when the duke's army stormed the castle. King Estevan defeated the warband, and those who were left after the cowards scattered were hunted down and executed, the duke included."

"I grieve for Estevan's loss. I met Queen Lastasha when I was very young, and she was a wonderfully kind woman. Heaven has gained one more good heart, it seems."

Elsa glanced at Revel out of the corner of her eye. How he had met a queen was beyond her, but he seemed genuinely saddened by the news of her death so she left her questions unsaid.

"Which is why I asked you here tonight," the young queen said moving away from the railing. That was Revel's sign she wanted to walk along the perimeter wall, and he wordlessly followed his queen into the darkness.

"This news has really troubled you hasn't it?"

"More than you can possibly understand," Elsa whispered, wrapping her long arms around her stomach. "I constantly fear for the safety of my family, Revel. It's a gnawing fear that won't go away no matter how many times I tell myself they're protected by my powers, by my army, by my guards, by you. I realized after last year's assassination attempt that all of us are vulnerable to outside attacks. The man who stabbed me in the crowd didn't look like the stereotypical storybook villain we are taught to look out for as children. He was average in every way, able to blend in with his surroundings like a chameleon."

Out of the corner of his eye, Revel caught Elsa's right thumb trace a horizontal line on her purple bodice a few inches under her left breast and instinctively knew she was reliving the pain of her scar. It was a nervous tick he'd spotted during their nightly walks. Whenever conversation of past events, the assassination attempt, or her family's safety came about the queen's right thumb would trace the four inch scar like someone rubbing a worry stone. Tonight was no different save for the fact that she looked like a caged animal desperate to find a way out of a trap. Revel stepped closer to Elsa and felt the cold a moment later. It wasn't as bitter as it had been the night before, but he could feel the arctic breeze swirling around her like wind in a bottle.

"I understand your fear, Majesty."

"You of all people should," Elsa said choosing a place to stop walking and leaning against the wall again. It was far enough away from the perimeter and tower doors she knew their conversation would not be overheard.

"I know I can't put your fears to rest with just words, but please know that I'll do everything in my power to protect you and your family. I swore it upon my entrance into the royal guards, and I swear it to you now."

"I know you will, Revel," Elsa said turning and gifting him with a rare smile that made her cerulean blue eyes dance. The Captain felt a warm burst of light in his chest like a brushfire igniting and couldn't help but smile back. But the queen's smile was gone a heartbeat later, replaced with an expression akin to concentrated determination. "Which is why I asked you here tonight. I have a…request to ask of you."

"Anything, Majesty," Revel said leaning against the wall with his hip and crossing his arms across his chest.

"I want you to teach me like you've taught Anna."

The Captain blinked in utter surprise, his words momentarily escaping him as his mouth fell open in shock. That hadn't been anywhere near what he'd been expecting to hear.

"I…um…Majesty I'm not sure I…_what_?"

"I didn't think I stuttered," Elsa frowned.

"You didn't, it's just…Majesty, is that wise? I mean, the princess is one thing, but you… and with your powers—"

"My powers scare you," Elsa said with such stoic rigidity it was difficult to see that she'd begun retreating into herself, hands curled into fists at her sides. In the darkness, the Captain could see the faint glow of her arctic magic peeking through the cracks between her fingers.

_Damn my inability to speak to women!_ Revel raged watching the queen take a reflexive step away from him.

"Majesty, that's not at all what I mean," Revel said taking a step towards her, determined not to let her sink any further into the depths of her mind. "Your powers are as much a part of you as a sword is a part of a fencer. I don't fear your powers; I have a healthy respect for them. But what I meant to say was, you are the queen. It was easy, well not entirely easy, but regardless, it was easier for Princess Anna and me to spar in secret because she's a princess. The security around her isn't near what it is around you. Also, I can't see your court or cabinet being all too pleased to hear their queen has taken up ground grappling with the guard captain."

Elsa's head whipped around, and the Captain felt himself shrink under her sudden intense stare. "I couldn't give a _damn_ what they think. Not a _damn!_ Their concern isn't for my family, but mine is. I'm the eldest, I'm queen. It's my responsibility to protect them," Elsa said planting her hands on the perimeter wall, nails scraping the stone. For just the briefest of moments she let her fear take control and, before she could stop it, a sheet of ice overtook the railing three feet in either direction.

Revel jumped at the sudden cold snaking up his pants leg and spreading across the bottom half of his vest like creeping vines. He'd never seen Elsa's ice magic close up and could understand why people feared it. Aside from it being shockingly cold, the way the ice shifted and moved made it seem like it had a mind of its own. Gently he brushed the ice crystals from his clothes, fascinated by the pattern they made on warm fabric, but looked up in surprise when the queen gave a startled gasp. She'd jumped away from the wall as well, a look of utter terror on her face, glowing hands clamped together and pressed firmly against her chest.

"I'm sorry, oh God, I'm so sorry…" she began backing away, all royal demeanor gone. Now she looked like a scared twenty four year old girl looking for an escape. Elsa knew this was a direct result of the stress she'd been under since that morning. Over the years she'd learned how to deal with the rigors of ruling and, with Anna's help, learned how to not bottle her emotions. But things had moved so fast today she'd forgotten to take the necessary steps to ensure she wasn't back building power.

_Get it under control,_ Elsa thought clenching her jaw so tightly her back teeth ached, forcing her magic back under her reigns. _Control it, don't let it control you. Control it. Control it!_

"Majesty," Revel said very softly. When she didn't respond he took a cautious step forward, hands out to show he wasn't going to hurt her. "Queen Elsa, calm down. I'm alright. It just startled me that's all. I've never see your magic up close before."

Elsa stopped and planted her feet, determined to regain control. Eyes scrunched tightly closed, she battled with the swirling tempest quickly rising in her. A bloom of warmth suddenly overtook her body beginning at her shoulders and spreading down across her chest, allowing her just enough of a respite from the clawing cold she was able to wrestle her magic back into place. After a few silent moments and some heavy breathing, the fear squirming inside finally quieted and the queen could think clearly for the first time since dropping Anna off at the medical wing that morning. It felt good to breathe, to shake off her cloying stress sitting on her chest like a stone. Opening her eyes, she saw that Revel was standing closer than he had been before the panic set in, and he was without his oil cloak. It was then she realized why she'd felt so warm.

"You looked cold," Revel said by way of explanation when Elsa touched the slick fabric of his cloak.

"Thank you," she said in a small voice, feeling warmth pool in her cheeks. Clearing her throat in order to cover for her embarrassment she said, "Are you sure you're alright? None of the ice touched you?"

"No, it just spread over my vest." Looking down, Revel saw the ghost image of the ice etched into the soft leather like a shadow. When he touched it the fabric felt cold. "Truly, your magic is a strange and wonderful thing. I've never seen the like."

"You're too kind," Elsa said with a small half smile. She'd been complemented about her magic before, certainly for her sculptural abilities, but somehow Revel's complement seemed more genuine than most.

"So, about your proposal," the Captain said picking his lantern up and coming to stand next to the queen. Elsa flinched away, but he kept his body loose to show he felt no fear towards her for what she'd done.

"I'm beginning to think it was a mistake to even ask."

"A pity, because my evenings have just opened up for the foreseeable next nine months, and I'd hate to have to waist that precious time doing paperwork."

"You mean actually _doing_ your job," Elsa quipped with a lopsided smile, feeling more and more comfortable the farther they walked back towards the perimeter doors.

"You wound me, Majesty!" Revel said clutching at his heart dramatically.

"I only speak about what I know, and I know you hate doing paperwork as much as I do."

A fat raindrop decided at that moment to plunge from the sky and land squarely atop Elsa's head. Startled, she looked up and was rewarded with another fat drop, this one very nearly hitting her in the eye.

"I think that storm you were talking about is about to—"

The heavens opened with a sudden vengeance and dumped torrents of cold water onto the kingdom and the two figures standing atop the southern perimeter wall. Elsa laughed and pulled up the hood of Revel's cloak before any more water could soak her head. The Captain shrugged out of his leather vest and attempted to use it as a makeshift hood, but it was poor protection against the driving rain.

"Oh God, that's cold!" Revel shouted over the roar of the water.

"The cold never bothered me!" Elsa retorted with a wild laugh. She loved being in the middle of storms, cloak or no cloak.

"Well, that's all well and good for you, but normal people still feel it!"

"Apologies," Elsa said and lifted a portion of cloak enough so that he could duck inside and keep dry. He only hesitated for a second until the queen shot him an incredulous look. "Really, Captain? I may be the Snow Queen, but I'm not going to freeze you if you stand to close."

Deciding he'd better not test his already deplorable luck, Revel stepped next to Elsa and took his corner of the cloak in hand. This close and he could feel her body heat which surprisingly seemed about average give or take a few degrees. She shifted closer and linked arms with him, a giddy smile spreading across her face.

"If we're going to make it in before you freeze, I suggest we make a run for the door!"

"After you!"

The two took off at a dead run, cloak flapping and snapping behind them like a dark flag. Puddles of water exploded underfoot as they ran, and before long both were laughing like children as the torrent increased in severity. Finally the perimeter door loomed in front of them and they crashed through, all soggy giggles and broad smiles.

"I've not done that in years," Elsa said breathlessly, shaking water from her arms and hands. The cloak wound up providing little protection from the rain with an extra person concealed within, her hair plastered against her scalp, her bodice and skirt a sopping mess, but she hardly cared. Revel seemed to have fared just as well, his undershirt stuck to his chiseled chest like an extra skin, and his breeches thoroughly soaked.

"I do it about once a month in the rainy season, but this was by far the most entertaining rainy sprint I've partaken in."

Elsa shrugged out of the cloak and handed it back to the Captain, but he shook his head. "Might as well leave it on the hook to dry. If Kai or Gerda see water droplets all over their clean floors..."

"Good plan," Elsa said and hung the soaking piece of fabric next to the anti-chamber lantern. For a few moments the queen and the Captain stood watching each other, both unwilling to move and risk breaking the light atmosphere. Finally Elsa cleared her throat and opened the second door.

"Good night, Captain."

"Good night, Majesty. I will see you tomorrow night, though perhaps an earlier time would be best? I prefer to teach in secret around ten in the evening, exactly one hour after lights out in the barracks."

"Then I will see you at ten sharp, Captain," Elsa said moving out of the room. Before she disappeared around the corner she shot him a smile over her shoulder and nodded. "Ten sharp."

"Oh, and wear sensible clothes," Revel said a little louder than he'd planned and flushed. Elsa only nodded and continued walking, leaving the Captain to drip dry in the anti-chamber, goofy smile pulling at the corners of his lips.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Whew, this chapter man...it just wouldn't come together the way I wanted it to. Had to scrap it twice before it finally settled into something halfway decent. Anyway, enjoy my friends! As always, let me know what you think.

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"Anna, we're gonna get caught," Kristoff whispered as the two slipped through the servant's entrance hand in hand, loose pieces of mud and leaf debris littering the carpeted floor behind them. Anna held up her hand for Kristoff to stop, leaning around the corner directly in front of them to see if the coast was clear. She watched the patrol guard finish his walk of the corridor and disappear out of sight before dragging her husband down the narrow hallway and up an equally narrow set of servant's stairs hidden behind a molted grey patinaed suit of armor. It was well after midnight and the two had just returned from an impromptu trip into town.

"If we didn't get caught going over the wall, we're not going to get caught sneaking back in. Plus, we got in before the guards saw us, and everyone is asleep."

"Your sister doesn't sleep," the mountain man said throwing a quick glance over his shoulder as if verbal mention of the queen would somehow conjure her.

"Contrary to popular belief, my sister does in fact sleep. She's just an early riser."

"Somehow that's not comforting."

"Oh shut up and keep moving," Anna said with mock seriousness, throwing him a quick smile.

The two continued in silence before they reached an area of the residency wing where guests usually stayed while visiting. Nine unoccupied rooms took up the hallway, yellow covered lanterns illuminating the walls and floor in small pools of warm light. Anna pulled her husband along until they reached the place the young princess had been intending to take him, a broad smile starting to pull at her lips.

They stopped at the mouth of a shallow alcove inhabited by a seemingly nondescript marble statue of a female nun holding a small cross against her chest, head slightly tilted back with a faraway look on her ageless stone face. Her robes were plain, her feet were bare, she had the stereotypical halo of beaten brass attached to her head like some strange inverted crown, and Kristoff didn't have a single clue why his wife had insisted they climb the perimeter wall at midnight just to raid an herbalist's garden a few blocks from the castle for a bundle of herbs to leave at this particular statue.

"I present to you Stain Colette, patron saint of women seeking to conceive and expecting mothers," Anna said as if introducing him to a close friend.

The mountain man stepped back in order to get a better look at the statue and scratched his head, unsure of what exactly to do or say. Growing up with the trolls, Kristoff hadn't been exposed to the Catholic religion until meeting Anna, and he was still having trouble wrapping his head around all their rules, symbology, saints, and rituals. It was head spinning and a little uncomfortable for him. The trolls were elemental beings who called the earth their mother and the moon their father, both being the beginning and end to all life. They prayed to a single nameless god, the deity responsible for the creation of their Mother and Father, and to multiple spirits of land, air, sea and fire, but that was it. For Kristoff it had been enough, but being married into the royal family, subsequently marrying into their religion, he'd been expected to know at least the basics, but even that was hard to swallow at times.

"Ok, so why are we here again?" Kristoff said looking to Anna for some idea about what to do next.

"It's an old tradition my mother told me about when I was young." The young princess reached into the pouch resting against her hip and pulled a bundle of herbs free. Without any preamble she approached the statue, knelt, and hissed the nun's feet while tucking the herb bundle safely behind the statue so that passersby wouldn't see it. Then she was up on her feet again and turning towards her husband, a sheepish smile on her face.

"I never told you the legend about the Frosberg bloodline, did I?"

"I think I might have remembered that," Kristoff said with a sideways smile. Anna smiled back and turned towards the statue.

"The legend goes that, during the reign of the first Frosberg monarch, Queen Saja was unable to conceive a child. Though the king and queen tried for years they were never able to produce an heir, and there was fear that the Frosberg line would end before it even had a chance to begin. In her desperation, Saja sought the aid of a mountain shaman in secret. The woman's name was Snaer which means 'snow' in the old tongue. Snaer saw that the Queen truly wanted a child, not just to please the king or to solidify her family's rule, but to also bring happiness upon herself, so she made a deal with Saja. The Queen had to seek out six sacred herbs and bring them to her before the day's end: snakeweed, watercress, viper's bugloss, chamomile, wergulu, and sweet fern," Anna motioned to the hidden herb bundle to further illustrate her tale.

"Saja happily agreed and brought the old shaman her herbs which the woman boiled down into a paste that the Queen was to rub on her stomach for one week before trying to conceive again. Apparently it worked, because three months later the Queen was with child. But all things come at a price and magic is not excluded. The shaman's burden for Saja was that from that point on all pregnant mothers in the Frosberg line would have to pick those same six herbs and do one of three things: burn them, offer them as an offering to a goddess of fertility, or boil them down into a paste to smear on their stomachs. Failure to do so would have dire consequences, but the old shaman never explained what those would be. So it became a tradition in my family…" Anna trailed off, her eyes wondering down the hallway towards where her sister's room was around two sets of corners. "A tradition that my mother failed to do while pregnant with Elsa."

Kristoff blinked in utter surprise and did a double take at the nun statue. Was that what Anna was doing? Giving this Catholic fertility saint an offering? The idea shook him to his core and he looked at his new wife through entirely new eyes. All this time he'd thought her rooted in her religion like all royals were. It wasn't like Anna was a pious woman, she only went to service when absolutely necessary, same with her sister, but just the idea she was participating in something as taboo as pagan superstition made him fall in love with her all over again. Suddenly she didn't seem as distant as before, like he could bridge the gap between their beliefs with a small plank of wood rather than having to build a two mile long bridge.

Anna stepped next to Kristoff, rubbing her shoulder with her right hand. She seemed genuinely uneasy, her body tensing as she wrapped her hands around her waist and hugged herself and the baby gently.

"I know it's just a story, just traditional superstition, but every little bit of luck helps, right?" Anna whispered.

"You think that because your mother didn't do this tradition that's the reason Elsa was born with ice powers?" Kristoff said pulling his wife close.

"We don't know. I know Elsa's researched the legend a hundred times trying to figure out why she was born different. She's spoken with herb specialists and potion masters, researched the herbs used in the legend, even went as far as recreating the same poultice Snaer made for Saja, but nothing strange ever happened. They are just plants boiled down into a paste. She and I even tried tracking down a decedent of Snaer but none exist, so we were ultimately back to square one."

"But it's just a legend."

"All legends have some element of fact in them," Anna said looking up at Kristoff. Then she said more quietly, "I just don't want to take any chances. Whatever happens to our baby, however he or she turns out, I just want to know I did everything right."

"You've not done wrong by me or by our child, Anna. It'll be perfect because it's a part of you, not because of what rituals or spells you say," the mountain man said putting his head atop Anna's and wrapping his arms around her, reveling in how warm she was against him, "Anyway, I think it's beautiful, the tradition I mean, not you. You're about as attractive as Sven."

Anna made an outraged noise and pushed away from her husband. "To think I once found you charming! Well since my sister was convinced this was Sven's baby in the first place, I guess I'll go and seek his affections then."

The young princess made to stalk off in the opposite direction, fighting to keep her supposed outraged mask in place, when Kristoff swooped in and spun her like a top, hands planted on her shoulders.

"Hey now, give a poor ice harvester a chance to apologize for being an ass. Sometimes I forget my manners," he said with a devious smile as he slid in close.

"I don't think I should even give you the chance," Anna said feigning a hurt attitude.

"You sure? I can be awfully convincing," Kristoff growled as he backed his wife into the base of the statue and began nuzzling her neck. Anna shivered and a faint gasp escaped her parted lips. She fought to keep her voice even as her husband began gently kissing the point where her neck and shoulder met, lips leaving lines of fire in their wake as he worked up to her earlobe.

"C-can you now? I'm not sure how much weight the words of a—"

She was cut off mid-sentence by Kristoff's lips connecting with hers, gently at first but growing in intensity and need with each passing second. Anna felt her body flare with heat and arch towards him as her fingers curled in his thick blond hair, her tongue exploring the familiar cavern of his mouth as his did the same with hers. She felt his wide warm hands begin to wander down her sides until they rested firmly on her hips, and the next thing she knew her legs were around his waist, squeezing him with almost a desperate need.

"You sure you won't let me apologize?" the mountain man said in a breathy growl, his body already feeling the effect of his arousal.

"Don't let me stop you," Anna replied in an equally breathy whisper, closing her eyes and letting the sensation of his hands trailing lines of quivering fire under her short skirt and up her thighs wash over her like baptismal water. When his fingers slid home in the soft wetness between her legs it was all she could do to stop from throwing her head back and screaming.

"Oh God…oh my God…" she rasped, head resting on his shoulder, fingers curled in his hair. She was so far gone in her ecstasy she didn't even hear it coming.

"Must you do this _here_?"

The two lovers froze. Anna's eyes flew open and she had about half a second to realize her sister was standing on the opposite side of the narrow hall glaring at her before life came crashing back into her like a cannon ball.

"Shit!" Anna exclaimed and attempted to untangle herself from Kristoff who was doing the same awkward dance as his wife. Face as red as a cherry, he didn't have the heart to turn and face the queen, instead standing sideways while his cheeks radiated fire like a forge.

"I…umm…what are you doing up so late?" Anna asked as she slid out from behind her husband and attempted to straighten her ruffled skirt and top.

"You've been climbing the wall again," Elsa said coolly as she took in the grass and mud stains on her sister's skirt, elbows, and hands. Anna flushed a few more shades of scarlet and knew she was caught.

"We…uh…that is," Anna realized with a start that her sister was soaking wet from head to toe, her hair just beginning to dry in frizzy waves. "Why are you all wet? Is it raining outside?"

"Don't change the subject. Where were you?"

"I..I took Kristoff—"

"Over the wall and into town without a proper guard escort," Elsa said finishing her sister's sentence for her. She'd seen scrapes and grass stains like these many times before and knew exactly what her sister had been up to, and it galled her to no end. Anna had always been one for blatantly disobeying the rules of the house even when Mother and Father were alive. After the assassination attempt last year, Elsa had told her younger sister she was not allowed into town without an escort, if the queen had to have one she was going to make damn sure Anna did as well. The young princess had hated the idea as much as Elsa had, and in order to get around the queen's decree, had taken up scaling the wall either with Kristoff in toe or by herself when she thought no one was watching. More often than not she was caught and reprimanded, but Elsa couldn't always be there to watch Anna, and frankly she didn't think she needed to. Her sister was well into her adult years, and it was high time she started acting like it.

Anna finally caved under Elsa's withering glair and lowered her eyes. "I took him to the herbalist's home to get herbs for…the tradition."

Elsa drew back a bit and actually looked at the statue behind her sister. Sure enough it was Saint Colette and there was a sudden new anger simmering in the young queen's blood.

"You were having sex against the statue of Saint Colette?" Anna tried to open her mouth to speak, to explain that things had just gotten a little out of hand, but Elsa was already furious, her body as rigid as plank of wood. "Anna, I believe I've been quite accommodating with the two of you and your marital responsibilities, but this, _this_ will not happen again. You cannot, and I will not, have you two rutting like animals wherever you damn well choose. If you must be together do so behind closed doors where myself and the castle staff aren't liable to walk in on you!"

"You're being absolutely ridiculous," Anna sputtered, her own temper rising. "It just got a little out of hand."

"I can see that! And I have no doubt I know where _his_ hand was," Elsa said pointing at a now mortified Kristoff who wanted nothing more than to become one with the wall beside him and fade into nothingness.

"_That _is none of your business," Anna said crossing her arms over her chest and staring defiantly at her sister. Enough was enough; they couldn't keep doing this absurd dance. "Elsa, this castle is my home just as much as it's yours, and I have as much right to do and say whatever the hell I please as you do. We weren't hurting anyone, there aren't any guests in this wing, the guards changed stations an hour ago, and it wasn't like I planned this in the first place! But Kristoff and I are _married_. We're not courting anymore, we can actually show affection in public without disgracing you or the Frosberg name, and you know what, I'm going to do just that!"

"There are people in this castle who don't want to be constantly reminded of their relationships or lack thereof!"

"I don't rightly care! I'm not going to live in fear of showing my affections like you constantly seem to do," Anna said, biting off every word and spitting them at the queen as tactfully as an embarrassed and sexually frustrated young princess could manage, which wasn't much.

For half a heartbeat Elsa looked genuinely hurt by her sister's words, but the moment passed and her face darkened, cerulean blue eyes flashing like polished stones. The two lovers could feel the sudden dip in temperature as ice crept up the wall in crackling spurts behind the queen, and Anna suddenly realized she'd said too much.

"I will ask you only once to retire to your room for the rest of the evening. _Only_…_once_," the young queen said, voice quivering with anger but face as stony as the statue peering at her from over Kristoff's shoulder.

At first Anna didn't move, to stunned to do much of anything aside from breathe. She knew she was in the wrong, but her embarrassment and exasperation had gotten the better of her, and now Elsa was angry and she never felt so helpless. Kristoff finally stirred and gently guided his wife towards their room, hands on her shoulders and head down as he passed the queen. In a last ditch effort to salvage the situation, Anna reached for her sister.

"Elsa I'm—"

But the queen turned away, closing herself off from whatever her little sister was about to say like a door slamming shut. Anna recoiled as if struck and felt tears well in her eyes.

_There are people who don't want to be reminded of their relationships or lack thereof, _her sister's words echoed around in Anna's skull like distant thunder. Suddenly she realized what exactly Elsa had said and it was like a knife in the heart. There was no need for reading between the lines, her sister's message was as clear as cut crystal.

_I really am a selfish fool sometimes. Why did I say those things to her?_ Anna thought with a sad hiccup as she walked alongside her husband. She cast one last glance back at her sister who was still standing in front of the Saint Colette statue, shoulders slumped and head in her hands.

The sisters avoided each other the next day, taking their meals at different times and generally trying to stay out of the others way as much as possible. Anna spent the majority of her time outside the castle with Kristoff, ridding with him and Olaf into the mountains while Elsa remained behind in her study, shifting through the never ending piles of paperwork and setting up appointments with dignitaries. With July behind them and August already in full swing, the holiday season was fast approaching meaning parties and balls would have to be scheduled, guests would need contacting, and the mayhem that always accompanied most kingdoms around the celebratory months would begin in earnest very shortly. Elsa rubbed her temples at the thought of how much work would have to go into the planning and contemplated handing the duties off to Kai for the time being. She trusted the manservant's judgment more than her own at times and knew he would enjoy the challenge of party planning.

Sitting back in her chair and leaning her head against the padded backrest, the young queen closed her eyes and tried to relax but the tension coiling the muscles of her back, neck and shoulders wouldn't leave. Her fight with Anna had plagued her the rest of the night, seeping into her dreams like a poison. She'd woken up more than once to frozen sheets and frost climbing her walls and had eventually given up on sleep, stumbling to her study and shutting herself in long before the sun peeked over the horizon line. Now lack of sleep was starting to catch up with her, but no matter how much Elsa wanted to drift into the blissful arms of unconsciousness she couldn't get her mind to stop racing.

_Why did I get so angry with Anna last night,_ Elsa thought planting her elbows on the desk and burying her face in her hands. She didn't know what had set her off, she'd been in a particularly happy mood after her talk and rain soaked run with Revel, but seeing her sister and Kristoff in the throes of their passion, both unashamed and uncaring of where they were or who was watching, had put such a sour taste in her mouth she'd felt her jaws ache.

_I can't believe it,_ the young queen thought with a quiet moan, realization very nearly slapping her in the face, _I'm jealous._

It had never occurred to her that she might be jealous of her little sister's relationship until now. Since the beginning of their courting, Elsa had been supportive of her sister, urging her and Kristoff to spend time together and even allowing the mountain man to move into a guest room in the castle after their first year together. She loved seeing Anna happy after so many years of rebukes and rejections, but now Elsa realized with a sick twist of her stomach that under it all, under the smiles and laughs and good natured jokes, she'd been jealous of what Anna had, of the freedom she had at her fingertips. Princesses were allowed to love who they wanted with very small limitations regarding rank, but queens…they had a very limited orchard to pick from, and at times it was infuriating.

Courting and marriage had been something Elsa secretly dreamed about in her younger years, but she knew logically her dreams would never be anything more than immature fantasy. Oh there were a plethora of available bachelor princes in the world who would like nothing more than to claim her hand, she entertained no less than thirty during most Arendelle's balls, but none of the men stood up to her rigorous and very nearly untouchable standards. That was only partially the problem. The fact that Elsa still struggled with the fear of allowing someone to get close to her was the root of the matter. She'd made great strides in the years since the Great Freeze, pulling herself from her isolated shell with her sister's constant aid, but it would take more than three years of emotional healing to rewrite the scaring damage of thirteen years of isolated torment.

Sighing, Elsa rose from her desk, deciding she'd done enough work for today. She left her study and headed towards her room. Already the sun had set and the shadows in the halls were long and deep as she padded towards the familiar comfort of her royal chambers. The room was draped in blue gray shadows as she shouldered open the door, moonlight streaming in through the huge triangular window directly across from her bed. It appeared Gerda hadn't made her rounds yet to light Elsa's wall lanterns. Unperturbed, the young queen grabbed a slender wick from the bunches she kept in a small glass jar next to her bed, lit it with a match, and made a slow circuit of the room. Once lit the large circular lanterns, dotting her walls like glowing overripe fruit, chased away the gloomy darkness and Elsa went about rummaging through her large walk-in closet and armoire for a suitable outfit for tonight's lesson with Revel.

Despite the trouble she'd had last night with Anna and Kristoff, Elsa had every intention of taking the Captain up on his offer for combat training. She needed to learn just like Anna had, but secretly the queen hoped the lesson would be a good distraction from her guilt. In fact, anything that could get her mind off what had transpired last night would be a blessing.

Revel paced the circular training chamber like a wolf in a cage, his critical eyes sweeping over the racks of cleaned and polished weapons that took up half the room, gleaming metal glinting in the torchlight like heat lightning. It was a nightly ritual he was compelled to complete before retiring to his quarters just off the training chamber. Inspect every weapon, no matter how small or insignificant, and make sure they were to his standard of cleanliness and readiness. Of course he knew his men had done as ordered as they did every night, polishing and sharpening their personal weapons before storing them in neat order on their respective racks, but the Captain was a man ruled by order and repetition and tonight was no different.

_Well, that's not entirely true,_ Revel thought as he pulled a random sword from its sheath and inspected the honed and oiled blade. He spotted a few minute nicks and sucked his teeth. Clearly he would have to speak to the owner of this sword about sparing with live personal weapons. His men could train whenever they saw fit, and the Captain encouraged them to practice on each other so long as live weapons were never used unless he was present. He'd not been asked to coach any sparing sessions, so these nicks had been made in secret. It was irritating but nothing he hadn't dealt with before, and a swift reprimand would usually bring his men to heel. Returning the sword to its sheath with a soft click, the Captain slowly walked the armory rack, buffing and polishing hilts and pommels with an old polish rag while straightening the spear shafts for the sixth time since dismissing his men to their barracks two hours ago. He knew he was being anal retentive, everything didn't have to be perfect, but he couldn't help himself. Tonight was the exception. Everything _had_ to be perfect when the queen arrived. Everything had to be in its place.

Deciding against walking the room again, Revel took to pacing back and forth in the center of the large chalk square that took up the majority of the chamber's floor space. He'd been wracking his brain all afternoon, trying to decide what and how he was going to teach the queen. Sure he had lesson plans already drawn up for his men, but guards usually trained as a unit, not individually. He could always refer back to the first few lessons he'd done with Anna, but he didn't know where the queen stood when it came to strength, speed, stamina, and flexibility.

_Most likely a far cry better than her sister, _Revel thought remembering with a smile how awkward Anna had been during their first few lessons. He tried to picture Elsa being that awkward, stumbling around and tripping over her own two feet, but couldn't. She was ever the poised and proper queen, immaculate in every way. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that training with her would be far more formal than it had been with Anna.

_But none of this helps me decide what to teach the queen tonight, or how to go about breaking the ice with her._

Revel returned to his pacing, his polished boots scraping against the hard packed floor.

He'd trained dozens of men in this wide patch of trampled down earth, years of use and hundreds of feet shuffling across the surface pounding the light brown dirt into a compact shell where nary a footprint appeared when walked upon. But tonight he feared he'd wear a hole in the dirt with all the pacing he was doing. It wasn't like him to be this nervous before a training session, to feel like he had battle armor butterflies knocking around in his stomach. Groaning, Revel tried to find something for his hands to do but there was nothing in the chamber he hadn't already touched, shifted, straightened, polished, re-polished, tied and untied at least a hundred times already, so he was left with nothing to do aside from stand and wait. A quick glance at the clock he kept on a narrow shelf between the dust rags and polish tins told him it was ten o'clock and his stomach turned a summer sault.

_This whole thing cannot be a good idea. This has got to be the worst thing I've agreed to do…_

The door creaked open with a faint groan and the Captain felt his back stiffen as a cloaked figure slipped in through the small gap and quickly shut the heavy wood and metal studded door behind it. He glimpsed vague feminine features under the large oversized hood, the briefest flash of white blond hair as the queen turned her back to the Captain and threw the latch on the door. Revel swallowed uneasily, heart in his throat.

_Train the queen in combat, oh sure, no pressure…_

"Good evening, Captain," Elsa said lowering her hood, a tight smile on her face. Her bright eyes skipped around the room once before alighting back on the Captain. He could tell from the set of her shoulders and the tightness in her face she was nervous which was somewhat comforting. At least he wasn't the only nervous one.

"Evening, Majesty," Revel said bowing at the waist. He gestured to something over her shoulder, "If you'd like, you can hang your cloak on the hook behind you next to the torch."

Elsa nodded and turned, whirling her cloak off her shoulders like only a royal could, and the Captain felt his jaw hit the floor at about the same times the butterflies in his stomach turned into raging vultures. The queen had chosen to wear a well-tailored ridding outfit with a few noticeable modifications. Her top was a soft blue poet shirt, tailored to fit her slender frame, tucked into a pair of fitted black breeches that stopped just shy of her waist line. She'd chosen sensible shoes, black shin high calfskin boots with silver embroidery around the upper lip, and her hair had been braided and pinned back in a severe bun in order to keep her long platinum locks securely in place. Altogether she struck quite a striking figure, her clothes hugging in just the right places and showing off her curves while not being overly obvious about it, and Revel felt his face reddening.

_You're a professional, goddamnit. Start acting like one and not some boy with a school yard crush!_

"I take it from your staring I chose my outfit correctly," Elsa said catching his eye as she glanced at him over her shoulder, a smile plainly evident in her voice. Revel cleared his throat, fighting to retain some levels of dignity.

"Yes, Majesty. You're already doing a far better job than your sister."

"Oh?" Elsa turned and clapped her hands in front of her, slipping into the poised posture of a queen effortlessly. There was still a smile on her face that only grew as the Captain fought to get his words out.

"During our first meeting Princess Anna worse a dress and slippers. The second day she wore a sundress but came barefoot. It took me three more tries before I gave up and had her wear the training uniform I have all recruits wear during hell week. Needless to say, she wasn't all too happy with my wardrobe choice, but she eventually learned to appreciate the freedom a pair of breeches allows."

The thought of Anna's deep frown as a pair of gray breeches and a green tunic were handed to her made Elsa laugh, and a small portion of her unease began to chip away.

"Well I'm glad I can make things a bit easier for you, Captain. I figured maneuverability would have to outweigh style during our sessions," Elsa said holding out her arms to emphasize her point. Revel nodded and beckoned the queen to join him in the center of the training square.

"So, what will we begin with?" the young queen asked as her eyes scrolled over the polished gleaming pieces of lethal steal on the racks directly in front of her.

"That…is a very good question, and one I've not quite found an answer for."

"What seems to be the problem?"

"Finding the right rhythm with which to teach you. You see, during hell week," Revel began leaning back against a tall stack of wood and iron barrels situated next to a rack bristling with polished spears, "I seek to find the hidden skills and talents in my recruits. Some men are better runners than others. Some are natural climbers. Some have better reflexes, some are massively strong, and some are cunning and lithe. It all depends on the man and it all depends on the course I make them run. Each one is specially designed to test for certain things, but I can't very well have you running all over the castle for a week while I search out your strengths and weaknesses. Not when I can still do basic tests in here," he said and motioned with his hand at the chamber around them. Rising from his lean he began walking the perimeter line of the training square, tapping his chin while he thought. "So the question remains, what tests will I preform on you? What are you good at, Majesty?"

"Aside from being able to scribe my signature perfectly while blindfolded…I have become quite adept at eluding your guard patrols," Elsa said with a sideways smile.

"Good! That tells me you have the gift of stealth, which means you are light on your feet," Revel said with an appreciative nod. "What else?"

"Since we're talking about being light on one's feet, I'm a capable dancer."

"As I have seen. The fact that you also know so many dances tells me you take direction well. That and you have a mind for memory, which will be a great asset while training with me. Repetition is key when learning how to fight. It all comes down to muscle memory. What else? How are you on strength?"

"Have you seen my ice castle?" Elsa said raising an eyebrow, turning in time with the Captain as he paced.

"Actually I have," Revel said slowing and eventually coming to stand next to the queen. Elsa blinked in surprise, a little shocked by his answer.

"When was this?"

"I was one of the guards who accompanied Prince Hans up North Mountain," Revel said quietly, eyes distant.

"You…" Elsa squinted at the Captain trying to dredge up any scrap of memory she might have of him during that terrifying battle in her ice palace. She'd not been focused on her royal guards but rather on keeping from being shot by the Weselton brothers. "I don't remember seeing you there."

"I don't imagine you would. I wasn't a Captain back then, only a lieutenant, but anyway, that's not important."

_Like hell it's not,_ Elsa wanted to say. She didn't quite know how to feel knowing Revel had joined Hans in his attempt to bring her back from North Mountain. Had his intentions been out of loyalty for the crown or had Hans poisoned him into thinking she was the monster her kingdom needed to fear?

"I can imagine that building your ice palace took a great deal of strength and an astonishing knowledge of architecture."

Elsa tried to shrug as nonchalantly as possible, but she was having trouble moving past Revel's admission about being at her ice palace. "To be honest, the building process didn't take much strength at all, but I attribute that to magical back-build. Thirteen years of holding in my powers resulted in a four day summer freeze and the erection of my ice palace. I don't think I'd be able to do it again. Actually, I'm fairly certain of it. Not many people realize there are limits to my power."

"I imagine your powers are much like any muscle in the body. After constant use it and you would grow tired."

"You pretty much have the gist of it," Elsa said pursing her lips and nodding. "Regardless, I've only been able to do it once and since then my magic has been less than stellar."

"Don't downplay your talents, Majesty. The fact that you _built a multistoried castle entirely out of ice_ goes to show that you have massive talent when it comes to your powers and the understanding of advanced structural elements."

A thought suddenly struck the Captain like a well-placed punch to the gut, and it was enough to nearly knock him off his feet. Of course, that was his answer. It seemed so simple, so easy, but it felt so right.

Unlike her sister, Revel knew Elsa had a different style, a different rhythm. Anna was scrappy and more of a brawler, happy to get on her hands and knees and wrestle with the men. It was an endearing quality that made the Captain view the young princess as more of a little sister, and he'd trained her like she'd been a part of his family. But the queen was completely opposite. Where Anna was scrappy Elsa was poised, where Anna was more of a brawler Elsa was like a fencer, calculating, thinking through each move before she took it. So rather than approaching her training like he had with Anna, pushing caution to the wind and diving head first into complex combat techniques, Revel would have to focus more on form and repetition. That didn't mean his lessons would be any less intense than they were with the young princess, there would just be more work done on foundational skills.

"You look like you've just cracked a hundred year old cypher," Elsa said interrupting the Captain's thoughts.

"Sorry, I just realized how this is going to work."

"Care to explain?"

"Here, sit," Revel said dragging a squat stool over and nearly pushing the queen down onto it. Elsa watched with cautious apprehension as Revel darted around the room pulling different things from shelves and throwing them in a heap near her, grinning and muttering to himself as he worked. The young queen glimpsed what looked to be a roll of gray cloth, padded mits, a handful of sandbags, rope, and from one of the far corners of the chamber, Revel drug a five foot tall cylindrical bag mounted on a wooden stand into the center of the training square.

"I realized can't teach you like I taught Anna. The two of you are not the same person, and I believe I'd be robbing you of a chance to actually learn something that could save your life if I chose to teach you as I taught her. Because that's what this is all about, the ability to protect yourself and others around you."

"Alright," Elsa said, brow scrunched with confusion.

"Just bear with me because I know this all sounds a bit strange. The way I trained Princess Anna was very hands on. She insisted on being treated like any other recruit, and I reluctantly obliged. A lot of our sessions were spent breaking down complex combat techniques into easily learnable chunks, as I do with my men, but there really wasn't any curriculum I followed. We pretty much just winged it most nights. Anna would tell me what she wanted to learn or asked questions, and I'd show her the technique and she'd mirror me until she'd gotten it right. There were some foundational skills I taught her, as I'll do with you, but I didn't stress them as much. I don't believe that would work for you. Your sister is a what I like to call a brawler, while you are a fencer. Your mind is your greatest asset but you learn primarily through repetition, correct?"

Elsa nodded, feeling her head begin to spin. Where was Revel going with this strange tangent of his?

"So pretty much what I'm getting at is I'll teach you like I'd teach a fencing student. We'll begin with the basics, build a strong foundation, and then progress at a steady pace on to more complex techniques."

"That makes…actually a lot of sense," Elsa said slowly nodding.

"Wonderful!" Revel flashed the queen a toothy smile and clapped his hands together, his excitement barely containable. "But there is one more element I want to address. Your powers."

Elsa blinked in utter surprise and unconsciously raised her hands to her chest, her previous unease returning with a vengeance. "What do you mean?"

"Remember when I spoke earlier of talents? You have quite a few, but the one that stands out the most, the one that quite literally interacts with every facet of your life, is your power. You have a gift, Majesty—"

"I assure you it's a curse," Elsa said flatly.

"I disagree," Revel said shaking his head, "though I can see why you'd view your magic in such a negative light. But what I think you don't understand is your magic is the best survival tool you could have for one very important reason. A weapon can be taken away. A sword can be shattered, a shield can break, a spear can be split, knives can be wrestled from your hands and skills and techniques can be forgotten. Normal people can be left powerless, but you, Majesty, you can't. Your power is a permanent part of your entire being. It lives with you, breathes with you, grows with you, and it never leaves you. When you fought the Weselton brothers in your ice palace you demonstrated you could defend yourself with your ice. At that moment it was your shield and sword, your armor."

"A lot of good it did me. I could hardly keep them at bay," Elsa said with a bitter bite to her voice. The memory still haunted her to this day, how close those thugs had come to ending her life with just the squeeze of a trigger.

"At the time you had never used your power for anything aside from blanketing the kingdom in ice and snow and building your ice castle. Of course when you finally used it for self-defense it was extremely raw. You were working solely on instinct. But like all new skills practice makes perfect. Like all forms of combat, repetition if key."

"Captain," Elsa said crossing her arms over her chest and turning away so that she was in profile to him. She didn't want him to see the terror in her eyes that the very thought of unleashing her magic again dragged to the surface. Using it for party tricks or minor decoration was one thing, but he was asking her to use it while learning to fight, to make her magic more lethal than it already was.

"I do not doubt your teaching skills, and I don't question your intentions, but when it comes to my powers, I'm loath to use them around any other living being. I spent thirteen years in isolation from my kingdom and my family because I feared what my power could and would do, and that fear was realized when I very nearly killed my sister _because_ of my power. Now you ask me to unleash them here, in this room, while you coach me. It's a terrifying thought. I've only had control of my ice for three years, and even that is tentative at times."

Revel felt the temperature dip and moved closer to the queen. Even from the side he could tell she was terrified, but if she was going to learn she had to start by trusting him. Yes, her powers could very easily become lethal, he'd seen that with the two assassination attempts last year, but if the queen wanted to learn all Revel could teach her she would have to relinquish some control over to him.

"Majesty, I understand your fears, I truly do, but if you are to learn how to protect yourself you must first learn to _trust_ yourself. It's been three years since the Great Freeze, and I've not seen a single person harmed by your powers save for the men who tried to kill you. Three years, Majesty. You have better control of your power than you know, but you also have to learn to trust people. I know exactly what I'm asking you to do. This isn't a game to me, and I take my request seriously. Your ice is a gift that can be shaped into so many things. I've seen its beauty first hand and I've seen its danger, and I believe that if you choose to let me teach you what I know, to ground you in the basics of combat, that when it comes time to work with your magic you'll have better control. At least give it some thought."

Elsa turned towards the Captain and he could see the tension in her face, the worry pulling at her shoulders, the fear hiding behind her eyes. She was genuinely scared but there was something more there, something deeper than the fear. Determination and resolve.

"And if my power becomes too much? If I can't control it and it lashes out at you?"

"I can say with utmost certainty, Queen Elsa, that your power will not harm me because you do not will it to. Like I said, your magic is a part of you just like your arms and legs. Neither of those can harm me unless you command them to, and your ice is no different. Please," Revel said extending his hand, a small smile pulling at his lips, green eyes dancing in the torch light "at least let me give you one lesson. If you're not pleased with how I teach, or if you feel this isn't something you want after all, we can stop and part ways as friends."

Elsa stared at his extended hand, weighing her options and the Captain's words. If Revel was right about her powers maybe she could finally get control of them permanently. But if he was wrong she could very easily kill him. Fear and reason warred inside her mind for what seemed like hours before reason won and she gently took his hand.

"Alright, Captain. One lesson and we'll see where we go from there."

"Excellent," Revel grinned and pulled her towards the five foot cylindrical bag at the center of the training square. "We will first begin with basic stance and strikes. In order to throw a decent punch one must first adopt the correct stance. Observe."

Revel positioned himself directly in front of the bag and took a small step back with his right foot while his left remained planted, toes facing the bag. Arms up in the typical boxing position, the Captain struck the bag with a resounding smack, twisting his hips as he leaned into the strike. The bag rattled on its base and Elsa could see a small depression where his fist had connected soundly with the rough material. Satisfied, he turned back towards the queen.

"Now, the common misconception when it comes to punching is that the power comes from your shoulders. That's only partially true. Really the power comes from the slight twist of your hips when you actually execute the strike. Here, copy my stance."

Elsa obeyed and shifted back on her right foot, left foot remaining in front of her. She mirrored Revel's boxing stance as best she could, feeling all the world like a fool as the Captain made a slow circuit around her, checking her form.

"Not bad, though your right foot is a little far back. Move it out just a bit and you'll find that your balance is much improved."

Again Elsa obeyed and found the Captain to be right. She felt the difference immediately.

"Good, now do I need to show you how to make a proper fist?" When Elsa threw him an incredulous look he raised his hands in surrender and laughed. "It wasn't meant as an insult. There are plenty of poor fools out there who don't know how to make a proper fist and they wind up breaking their hands."

"Proper enough?" the young queen asked raising her fist for him to inspect. Of course she knew how to make a proper fist. It was the only way to snuff out her magic when it rose too quickly into her hands.

"Yes. Now, slowly extend your arm and twist your hips at the same time." Elsa did as told and extended her arm until the knuckles of her right hand brushed the bag. "Very nice. I'm going to adjust you a bit, is that alright?"

"By all means, Captain. I am your student."

"Just making sure," Revel said stepping up beside her and pressing on her right shoulder until it fell into a more relaxed position. Next he lowered her curled left arm so that her forearm was protecting her face rather than her neck.

"There. Now, try it again only this time add in a little speed."

Elsa returned to her original stance, took a breath, and struck the bag again, twisting her hips just as Revel had said. Her fist connected with a satisfying thud and she felt a small smile creep onto her face.

"Good! You remembered to twist with the strike. Now, I want you to try it one more time, but this time I want you to strike as hard as you can."

Again the young queen returned to first stance. Drawing a nervous breath through her nose, she lashed out and struck the bag as hard as she could. The connection her fist made was jarring, shockwaves of reverberated momentum racing down her arm and exploding around her shoulder blade. At about the same time she felt a small coin sized spark of frost bloom at the center of her right palm and jerked back in time to see a thin coating of ice dissipate across her rapidly reddening knuckles. The pain set in a second later and she winced.

"Ow, that…that hurt a little more than I expected."

"I'm sorry, Majesty. I should have warned you, but I needed to see how your skin would react to my heaviest, hardest bag."

"I'm not sure I follow," Elsa said shaking feeling back into her hand.

"We'll be training with all sorts of bags: heavy, light, soft, hard, smooth and rough. They all serve a purpose in my lessons, but I wanted to see how you'd react to hitting the hardest. Also, I needed to see if you bruise as easily as your sister," Revel said walking forward and taking Elsa's small hand in his. She wasn't nearly as bruised as Anna had been, which was shocking since the queen had fairer skin than her little sister, but he could see the telltale redness setting in on her second and third knuckle.

"So we _will_ need to use the wraps," the Captain said bending down and retrieving a small bundle of cloth. With the flick of his wrist the bundle unraveled into a five foot long strip of gray cloth two inches wide. The end he held between his thumb and forefinger had a loop sewn into it, and this loop he gently slid over Elsa's thumb and began wrapping, explaining as wound the fabric.

"It is always wise to wear cloth wraps while training with the bags. They help support your wrists while also cushioning your knuckles from the abrasive texture of the bags as well as the friction caused by prolonged striking. Many of my men carry lifelong scars on their knuckles from not wrapping properly."

Elsa watched with curious fascination as Revel wound the long gray fabric around her knuckles and hand before slowly working his way towards her wrist, each layer of cloth overlapping the other. She noticed as his hands came around that he bore similar scars to what he was describing, the knuckles of his right hand primarily rounded off with thick calluses.

"And anyway, we wouldn't want her Majesty's knuckles bloodied and bruised. That wouldn't be ladylike at all," Revel winked as he let her right hand fall and took up the other one, repeating what he'd done to the first.

"Oh no, we wouldn't want people to stare and point. How would the queen feel if people suddenly thought her a freak," Elsa said giving Revel an exasperated look.

"Well in any case, we wouldn't want your sister asking questions," Revel said with a shrug.

"No, we most certainly don't want Anna asking questions," Elsa agreed and flexed her fingers, testing how dexterous she was with the wraps on. They were surprisingly comfortable, reminding her of a rugged pair of gloves. "I can certainly get use to wearing these," she smiled contentedly. There was just something comforting about the wraps.

"Oh trust me, within the next few months you'll come to genuinely hate them," Revel said with a wicked grin. "Now, let's begin again. Right foot back, arms up, and strike."

Elsa did just that, her smile widening with each blow. She just might come to enjoy these lessons more than she'd originally thought.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I definitely had a lot more fun writing this chapter, and I think things will flow a lot more smoothly now that we're moving into the meat of the story. As always, I hope you all enjoy what I've got so far!

* * *

"So, what are you going to do," Anna said leaning over the small table and folding her hands neatly under her chin, eyebrow raised. "You're caught; I've got you pinned in a corner, so just admit it. You're done."

Kristoff swallowed uneasily, his eyes flicking from his wife's beautiful sky blue orbs to the door sitting just barely ajar to his left. Maybe if he made a run for it now he'd get past the threshold before Anna could follow. But no, even in the early stages of her pregnancy the young princess was as spry as ever.

"Anna, this isn't entirely fair."

"Fair? Since when did fairness enter the equation? You're the one who wanted to do this, and now that you've made your bed you have to sleep in it. Come along husband-of-mine. You're just stalling."

"I…I can still—"

"Aww, what's the matter? You seemed so sure about yourself a few minutes ago. What changed, Kristoff?" Anna said tilting her head to one side and giving her husband a wicked grin. She knew she had him and it was fun watching him twist on her line like a freshly caught fish.

"This isn't over," Kristoff snarled, running his hands through his thick blond locks and staring hard at the table in front of him. How had everything gone so wrong so fast?

He heard movement behind him and turned to see Elsa rise from her seat behind her desk, four books and a large stack of papers in her hands. She passed by the table where Kristoff and Anna sat staring at one another, glanced down at the chessboard between the two, and nodded dubiously.

"She has you in three moves, mountain man. You're pretty much beat."

Kristoff exhaled exasperatedly and knocked down his black queen, conceding the game to his wife. "Alright, alright I know when I'm beat."

Anna gave a triumphant whoop and began resetting the board. "A wise man knows when to admit defeat."

"A wise man wouldn't attempt to play chess against a royal, especially _you._"

"Oh don't be a sore loser," the young princess said standing. "You've only been playing for a few years. I've had all my life to practice."

Kristoff shrugged and moved around the table to help his wife, but Anna batted his hands away. "At some point you're going to have to let me walk on my own. I've got six more months to work on my balance."

"She's right you know," Elsa said from the other side of the room as she returned the books she'd needed to their proper shelves, careful not to let the pain show on her face whenever she twisted or flexed her torso. "Wait until her baby bump really starts growing. If you think Anna's klutzy now…"

"Hey! I'm not that bad!" Anna said picking up a pillow and throwing it at her sister. It was a dead on throw that should have hit Elsa square in the back of the head, and since the young queen wasn't looking it should have connected, but to Anna's complete surprise her sister whirled and caught the pillow, spinning effortlessly back around towards the bookshelf as if nothing had happened, pillow clutched to her chest. The young princess felt her mouth fall open.

"Wow! How'd you do that?"

"Do what?" Elsa asked without turning, thankful she was able to hide her winces of pain.

_Damn if Revel wasn't right about those sandbags,_ she thought trying to inhale as carefully as possible while her ribs and torso screamed at her each time she shifted. She'd have to loosen her bodice again if she was going to make it the rest of the day without letting on she was in a near constant state of ache.

"How'd you know I'd even thrown the pillow?"

"Dear sister, you can be entirely predictable sometimes," the young queen said in a light voice and turned back toward the rest of the room now that her face had been schooled back into a pleasant mask. The truth was she'd surprised herself. Elsa had suspected her sister would throw something, but somehow she'd sensed the pillow hurtling towards her and reacted upon instinct just as Revel had been teaching her with swinging sandbags.

"Uh huh, I'm sure," Anna said unconvinced and stared hard at her older sister as if trying to see through her calm demeanor. The young princess had noticed a change in her sister over the past three months, subtle things that most people would miss entirely but that Anna's sharp eyes instantly picked up on. For starters, she walked gingerly almost every day. Of course Elsa was always the poised queen, back straight, shoulders back, hands folded neatly in front of her, but over the past few weeks she'd been hunching more and walking carefully, not putting much weight on the balls of her feet. Sometimes Anna would catch her leaning against a door frame or a window ledge as if out of breath. Sometimes a flash of discomfort would arch across Elsa's face when shaking hands with guests or dignitaries, or when she bowed.

Anna had even noticed a change in her sister's wardrobe. Since the Great Freeze, the young queen had taken quite a liking to wearing dresses that were more form fitting and lower cut. Nothing crass or unladylike, but Elsa preferred lower neck lines and thinner material, opting for single layers when the fashion was to wear multiple. She'd also found a love for corsets and bodices, but recently the young queen had taken to wearing longer sleeved dresses and replacing her bodices with fitted vests or sashes. It wasn't all that strange attire to be wearing, fashion in Arendelle changed hands quickly like any other kingdom, but it was strange seeing these changes effect the queen. No, there was something going on, and Anna wanted to know what it was.

Elsa stared back at her sister, cerulean blue orbs daring the young princess to ask the questions she knew she wanted to ask. Of course the queen had known Anna would pick up on the fact that her older sister was hiding something from her. The young princess might be a bit airheaded at times but she was as sharp as a tack underneath her loose exterior, but Elsa had thirteen years of concealing practice under her belt.

"You're hiding something," Anna said folding her arms across her chest and narrowing her eyes. Kristoff looked between the two, brow furrowed.

"A very accurate statement, Anna. I am the queen, and it's my job to keep things from my subject," Elsa said with a nonchalant shrug that woke an aching burn down her right side where a particularly hard sandbag had caught her last night.

"I thought we said we wouldn't keep things from each other anymore," Anna pressed.

"And I haven't broken my promise. I assure you, I'm not keeping anything nefarious from you, little sister. Plus, when would I have the time to 'be up to something'?" Elsa said using air quotations. "Between planning for the holiday season and the Spring Trade Summit, when would I find the time to sneak around doing the things your mind seems to be creating? The only time I'm free is during the evening and at night, and I'm busy sleeping, as you should be too."

Anna opened her mouth but promptly shut it, knowing she didn't have a good answer at the moment.

Elsa moved back towards her desk and closed the ledger she'd been writing in most of the afternoon. She usually didn't do any work on Sundays, preferring to keep with biblical tradition and using it as a day of rest, but with the holiday season and the Trade Summit fast approaching there just wasn't enough time during her normal work week to get everything done. Still, she wasn't about to lose her entire day to menial tasks like signature signing and invitation writing, not when the weather was unseasonably warm for October and the sun was shining.

"Going somewhere?" Anna asked as her sister moved towards the door and stepped out into the hall.

"Just getting some air. When you're done whipping your husband at chess please shut the door behind you."

Anna nodded and watched her sister pad down the long hallway, watching her steps closely. Yes, Elsa was definitely being careful with how she walked.

"You know staring isn't going to get you any answers," Kristoff said moving next to her and wrapping his arms around his wife's slender waist.

"She's hiding something," Anna said with pursed lips.

"She's allowed to have her secrets."

The young princess turned towards her husband and made a face. "Not from me. What if she's doing something dangerous?"

"Like what?" Kristoff said with a chuckle. "I can't see our reserved queen doing anything that might put her in harm's way. Maybe she's ridding again?"

"_When?_ She's always in meetings or shut in here doing work. When would she have the time to do anything like that?"

"Anna, what if it's nothing," Kristoff said quietly and pulled her close, planting a kiss atop her head. "She's the queen, so who knows what strange tasks the council or bishop Arren make her do on any given day. Maybe she's just not sleeping well or going through growing pains. Her powers have been a little…erratic lately."

Erratic hadn't been the right word Kristoff had been looking for, but it was the best he could come up with. It wasn't that the queen was losing control of her power, that wasn't the case at all, it was just that Elsa seemed to be using it more often. Most of the time she used it for pure amusement or the playful torment of her sister. Icy pranks had become the norm around the castle when the queen was in high spirits, and the royal sisters had taken to trying to one-up the other whenever the opportunity presented itself. Without ice powers, Anna had to find more devious and organic means of pranking her sister while Elsa delighted in using her powers to create wonderfully elaborate pranks, oftentimes with Olaf close at hand. But the sisterly pranks had been the norm for three years. What Kristoff had seen recently was what confounded him.

Within the past three months the mountain man had caught Elsa forming her ice into more questionable things like small knives and arrows. She would examine the sculpture as only an artist could before dispelling it with the flick of her wrist only to recreate it a second later as if timing herself on how long it took for her to shape her ice into a tangible object. Kristoff had kept that part of Elsa's broadening ice usage from Anna, fearing the young princess would be alarmed to discover her sister was making weapons out of ice. Why she was doing it was beyond him, but if she had her reasons, and wasn't hurting herself, Kristoff would let the queen have her secrets.

Anna sighed and leaned back against her husband, "Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm just seeing things."

"Or looking to closely at what you're seeing," Kristoff offered.

"That too." Anna stretched and felt her shoulders pop, sighing contentedly. "You know, it's a Sunday afternoon. The castle staff is really thin right now. We could always…"

Kristoff scooped up his wife and the young princess giggled. "I think you read my mind."

Anna went limp in his arms like a penny opera actor, legs and arms splayed, "Then take me away Reindeer King! Off to the blissful silence of our much used quarters!"

Elsa wondered the long halls at a leisurely pace, happy for the chance to let her guard down and relax. It was becoming a chore keeping a placid face when her body was a screaming mess of arches and pains. Revel had warned her but she hadn't really taken his words seriously…until now. Three months of constant nightly training was starting to takes its toll.

His first lessons had been the basic foundations of combat, and they ran in four week courses five days a week. Lesson one had been striking and falling. According to the Captain they were the two most important tools a person could have when in combat.

"A good strike can topple an enemy just as effectively as a knife to the throat," Revel had said circling behind the young queen as she practiced on the heavy bag with the wooden base. Despite having the snug security of her hand wraps on, Elsa's knuckles were beginning to ache from prolonged striking. Revel was having her work on what he called a hook punch that required her to step to the side and deliver a savage blow to the side of the bag while keeping her left arm up. With each punch the young queen felt her knuckles grind against the now sweaty wrap material and gritted her teeth.

"Let's work on your left hand now," Revel said seeing the discomfort on the queen's face. He knew she had to build up a tolerance to the pain, surprisingly enough she had quite a high tolerance to begin with, but it didn't hurt to give one muscle group a chance to recover. Elsa had happily complied and began working on her left hand.

That had been just the striking. Falling came next and it was no less strenuous.

"If you fall while in combat there is a good chance you won't get back up. A man on his back is generally a dead man if he can't right himself quickly," the Captain had said two weeks into his lessons. Tonight he'd opted to wear a sleeveless gray tunic and his customary black breeches. He'd unrolled a padded matt across half the training square and was standing at the center. Elsa stood at the widest edge, brow creased in slight confusion.

"So, we have to learn how to fall correctly. Here, push me."

"Beg pardon?"

"Come up to me, and push me back as hard as you can," Revel said without breaking his calm demeanor.

Reluctantly Elsa walked up to the Captain and did just as he asked, putting her shoulders into the shove. Revel toppled backwards but rather than landing flat on his ass like most people would have he used the momentum of the queen's push to roll backwards over his right shoulder and spring back up into his feet a half second later.

"Good shove. You've definitely got some strength in your shoulders," Revel said with a grin.

"Two weeks of constant strike training has helped," Elsa replied with a nonchalant shrug, trying hard to keep the blush from her face. "So, how did you get back up so quickly?"

"Ah, the trick is in how you move with the motion of the push and how you allow one half of your body to collapse. When shoved a person usually allows the push to direct them, but you can turn it around in your favor by redirecting your momentum. What I did was simple. When you pushed me I immediately collapsed my right leg behind me and rolled back on my right shoulder. My body did the rest automatically. Here do it again but watch my legs."

Elsa obliged and pushed the Captain again, trying hard not to notice the sinewy muscles of his broad chest under his tunic. Revel flipped backwards just as he had before and popped back to his feet. Having watched closely, the young queen had indeed seen what he'd been describing and already her sharp mind was breaking down how she could copy his move.

"Shall we have you give it a try?" Revel asked with a wide grin. Elsa only hesitated for a moment before nodding and began the second phase of lesson one. It took her the rest of the month to become comfortable with the different ways one could stop a fall.

Lesson two covered balance and speed, and this was where the pain really began to set in. Revel taught the young queen how to maintain speed while attacking, making her train with heavy sacks of sand strapped to her back and shoulders. Sometimes he opted to see how far her endurance could stretch by making her run the perimeter of the training chamber with the same weights strapped to her body; other times it was evasion training, Elsa attempting to evade Revel's advances through quick footwork alone. Usually by the end of the lessons the young queen could barely walk out of the chamber, each step agony on her screaming muscles.

But the long hours of discomfort and pain were slowly beginning to pay off in surprising ways. Elsa began to notice a change in her body, muscles becoming more lean and defined, her steps, when not hellish agony, more lithe and sure. She'd never had problems with balance and poise before, that honor was saved for Anna, but Revel's training had definitely made her more surefooted.

Lost in her thoughts, the young queen passed by one of the large bay windows overlooking the guard tower and its small oval courtyard without noticing the large crowd that had formed there. Three or four steps later her mind caught up with what her eyes had seen and she turned around and went back to the window, curiosity piqued. There were about thirty men standing in a large ring at the center of the stone courtyard, gesturing excitedly at the two men circling one another in the middle of the pit. The two opponents, stripped to the waist, prowled around the ring of bodies, sizing the other up like wolves competing for pack status. Eventually one man made the first move, a blinding strike that would have caught his opponent square in the temple, effectively ending the match and most certainly the man's life, but the opposing fighter raised a swift block and countered, dragging the first man to the ground.

Elsa quickly walked the rest of the hallway until she reached a small private balcony she often used for reading during the twilight hours and stepped out into the soft warmth of the midafternoon sun. At the railing she had a much better vantage point of the fight. Her first thought had been to call the palace guards to break up the squabble, but then Revel's words floated back to her and she calmed a bit.

"Sometimes my men just need a chance to let off some steam, so on Sundays, if the weather permits, I let them openly spar in the guard's courtyard," the Captain had said during their first few lessons together.

_So this is how my guards spar…not to certain I agree with the brutality, but Revel knows what he's doing._

The two opponents were on the ground now in a tangle of arms and legs that was impossible to tell apart. Every now and then one man would get in a good punch or elbow, but eventually the second striker was able to get his arm around the first's neck and squeezed until the man slapped the ground three times in quick succession. The crowd, subdued until now, erupted into cheers as the winner untangled himself and popped to his feet, roaring triumphantly. The queen could see the wide swatch of bright blood steadily growing under his nose, but the guard, whoever he was, did seem to notice or care. The other man was being hauled up by his friends, his face a mess of darkening bruises and blood. He approached his opponent and the two men clasped forearms, grinning like fools.

"Alright you dogs," Elsa head a familiar voice say seconds before the crowd split apart and Captain Revel entered the ring. "You've had your fun, now let's be off!"

The crowd booed and jeered until Revel was forced to raise his hand, a wide smile splitting his face. He wasn't wearing his customary guard uniform, opting for a more casual blue tunic with brown pants, and his hair was unoiled, wavy locks falling around his ears.

"What? You don't want to get back to work?"

Another chorus of discontent rippled through the crowd.

"Well then what do you want?" Revel shouted, egging his men on, his grin growing by the seconds.

"Captain's fight!" the onlookers shouted almost in unison, feet stamping the cobblestones.

"Oh, ho, ho, so you bastards think one of you is man enough to beat me? Well then who is the unlucky fool? Come, step forward little lamb. I promise I won't bite…hard."

The crowd parted again as a second man joined Revel at the center of the circle pit. He was a head and a half taller than the Captain and about fifty pounds heavier. Stripped to the waist, Elsa could see the challenger was man who took his training seriously, every muscle of his body defined like sculpted marble. He wore his hair cropped short against his scalp, so it was impossible to tell hair color, but from his pale complexion the queen suspected he was naturally blond.

"Ahhh Sigmund, I had a feeling it would be you," Revel said with an unsurprised sigh.

"Be a pleasure to whoop your ass, _sir,_" Sigmund said with a growl, cracking the knuckles on each hand one at a time. Elsa felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She had a sick feeling this fight had a personal twist to it. Revel seemed unimpressed and shrugged. If he sensed the same thing the young queen had he wasn't letting on he knew.

"You can try my mighty friend." Stepping back a ways, Revel pulled off his shirt and tossed it down at his feet, rolling his shoulders and flexing his hands while bounding from foot to foot, loosening the tight muscles of his chest, shoulder, arm and legs.

The Captain was a well-built man with sinewy muscles that looked like corded rope coiled under his skin. He wasn't unnecessarily bulky like his opponent, but there was power in his frame that bespoke of a man well versed in the art of combat. Elsa felt her face suddenly ignite in a flaming blush and swallowed, feeling all the world like a voyeur.

The two men came together in the center of the ring and touched fists before beginning the customary circling, eyes searching for a weakness. This went on for a few moments until Sigmund grew tired of the initial dance and lashed out with hook punch. Revel countered easily and ducked away. Again they circled and it was Sigmund who struck a second time, swinging his leg a vicious kick aimed at Revel's thigh. The kick was sound and Elsa could hear the connecting smack of skin on skin all the way up in her balcony and winced.

_That's going to leave a bruise._

Revel took the blow in stride, shaking his leg to regain feeling in it, but not trading Sigmund blow for blow like the other men had. He continued moving in a slow circle, his hands held loosely in front of him. The big guard lashed out a third time and caught Revel in the face with a meaty fist, sending the Captain stumbling into the crowd where at least ten men kept him from falling and pushed him back into the ring. Elsa felt her breath catch in her throat when Revel stumbled, but now she saw that a wicked grin was slowly spreading across the Captain's face as blood began dribbling from his nose and split lip.

"Well struck," the Captain conceded trying to wipe the blood from his face but only managing to smear it. Sigmund gave no indication he'd heard and lunged into another attack, but this time Revel reacted like bottled lighting, stepping out of the way with near superhuman speed and catching the man in the jaw with an uppercut that sounded like a hammer striking a log. Sigmund reeled back from the blow, but Revel didn't let him get far. His second blow, a savage straight forward punch with all his weight put behind it, caught the big man in the stomach, driving the air from him. With Sigmund bent nearly in half, the Captain grabbed his opponents left wrist, spun under it as he raised it in an arch, and flipped him as easily as if he were a sack of potatoes. Sigmund went down hard on the flat of his back wheezing, blood dribbling from his mouth from where he'd bitten his tongue. Revel continued with the momentum of the throw and brought his knee down hard on the big man's neck, fist raised for a finishing strike. The entire attack had taken less than four seconds from start to finish, and the crowd, queen included, gaped in utter amazement.

"Do you yield?"

Even at a slight distance, Elsa could see that Sigmund was fuming, his face a mess of embarrassed anger. For half a heartbeat she thought he was going to push Revel off and attempt another attack, but it appeared the guard had better sense and sighed, a small smile cracking his face.

"God's above Revel, where'd you learn to fight like that?"

The Captain broke into a grin and helped the big man up. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Fine. Keep your secrets, but at least show us how you threw me."

A chorus of 'aye show us' and 'give up the secret' echoed through the crowd and Revel laughed again.

"Fine, fine I'll show you all tomorrow. But for now, polish and restack weapons! Get to it, and so help me if I find one single pommel unpolished when I make final rounds you all will get half rations of wine for dinner tomorrow night. Hold your fellow men accountable!"

The guards in the courtyard quickly dispersed, all chattering happily. Revel bent down to retrieve his shirt and upon standing back up, locked eyes with the queen, and Elsa felt her body freeze. She'd been so sure she'd been hidden. Revel's grin turned into a toothy smile and he bowed to the queen as if he were a stage actor, shirt snapping out beside him with an audible crack.

_You ass,_ Elsa thought watching the Captain, _you were showing off the entire time._

Her face beginning to warm as blood rushed into her cheeks, the young queen politely bowed back, thankful that the distance hid her blush. The two held each other's gaze for another few heartbeats before Revel turned and hurried after his men, shirt slung over his shoulder. He gave the queen one last grin before disappearing around a corner, and for the first time in never Elsa felt what her sister had described as butterflies pounding around in her stomach.

"You were as bad as a stage actor," Elsa said as she spun out of the way of a swinging sandbag as gracefully as a dancer. Three more swung around her like interweaving clock pendulums and she evaded those as well, keeping her hands up as she did.

"How was any of what happened today acting?" Revel said from his place in the rafters, sitting contentedly on a wide beam with six more sandbags lined up beside him. "And watch your form when you spin, Majesty. Keep your elbows tight to your body."

Elsa tightened up her form as she evaded another swinging obstacle. Her objective was to reach the other side of the training square where a small green rag sat staked on spear without getting hit by any of the sandbags. If she was hit she had to start over. Once the rag was in hand she had to make it back across the square to the empty basket sitting on a low barrel. The same rules applied from the first crossing. Get hit, go back to start. So far she'd only had to restart two times, her footwork unusually good this evening.

"You played right into his attacks. All of those could have been easily evaded, but you _let_ him hit you."

"Ah, so you were paying attention," Revel said with a wide grin, swinging his feet like a child who was too short to sit in tall chairs. He put a hand to his chest and sighed dramatically, "It warms my heart knowing her Majesty is being a dutiful student."

Elsa shot him a look and just barely had time to dodge one of the four sandbags.

"Keep your beautiful eyes focused on those bags, Majesty," Revel teased.

"If you call me Majesty one more time I'm going to freeze you," the young queen snarled, attempting and succeeding on evading another bag.

"It's your proper title."

"It's what everyone calls me."

"Because it's your proper title," Revel said resting his elbow against on one of the remaining bags happily watching his student spin and dance around his obstacles.

"In the privacy of this room," Elsa huffed, sweat already starting to roll down her back in tickling rivulets, "call me Elsa."

"As her Highness commands," Revel grinned impishly.

The young queen chose to ignore his taunts and focused on getting past the last bag, timing it as closely as she could before jumping free of the obstacles with a triumphant whoop. Snatching the flag from the spear she raised her trophy for her teacher to see, smug grin barely contained.

"Back through, Captain?" she said lightly, twirling the rag.

"Back through," Revel agreed, "but with a little more risk this time." Two more sandbags swung down with a snapping crack as the rope went taut. "That's six bags, Majesty"

"I can count," Elsa grumbled, watching the chaotic swinging, trying to figure out the rhythm. Carefully she jumped into the path of the first bag closest to her only to spin out of the way just before impact. This carried her two steps into the swinging obstacles. There had been little room to move the first go around, but with two new bags added she had to move fast or risk getting hit. Steps three and four nearly cost the young queen her precarious position, the heavy burlap sacks just barely brushing her hip and shoulder as she danced past them. Step five wasn't much of a problem, the bag already starting to slow its swing, and six was a breeze compared to the rest.

Glowing with a second wave of triumph, Elsa turned towards Revel and barely had enough to time to turn sideways before a seventh bag swung free of the rafters and slammed into her with all the force a free swinging eighty pound sack could muster. For the briefest moment she was hovering above the ground before it came crashing up to meet her with an ugly thud. Winded, the young queen lay where she'd fallen, sprawled on her back. The earth stopped spinning after a few moments but still she didn't rise.

"That was unfair," she wheezed, feeling her bruises, old and new, all begin to scream at once.

"Two lessons were learned here, Majesty. One is to never believe anything is ever finished, not even our games. So, return to start and try again."

Elsa groaned and held up the green rag as if it were evidence of her win.

"You got the rag, yes, but you didn't get it in the basket. Begin at start, Majesty."

"Elsa," the young queen corrected.

"Begin at start, Elsa," Revel said. A sudden unfamiliar burst of warmth erupted across his chest at the same moment his tongue began to tingle. To use the queen's birth name so freely seemed like the ultimate taboo, but it left such a wonderful taste in his mouth.

The queen felt it too, electricity arching down her spine and exploding into a hundred thousand butterflies in her stomach. It was scandalous to have someone so low on the social status ladder use her first name, but Elsa couldn't bring herself to care. Sometimes it was nice being reminded she was a normal human under the label of queen, and she reveled in the mischievous glee of having her tutor speak her given name.

"What was the second thing I learned this evening," Elsa said pulling herself up into unsteady feet. The bag had definitely jarred her equilibrium because everything kept tilting to one side.

"The second is that when it comes to me, I never fight fair." Revel said from his seat in the rafters, sly grin on his face. He'd suspected the queen would get overconfident at some point, as royals often did, so it was sometimes necessary to remind her that she wasn't always two steps ahead. Kept her on her toes.

"Is that so?" the young queen said looking up at her teacher. He was grinning down at her like a fool and she suddenly wanted nothing more than to smack that grin off his face, but he was up there and she was…

With the flick of her wrist, Elsa conjured a small palm sized piece of not fully tangible ice. The tiny cloud hovered above her hand on a soft cushion of arctic air, dusted with miniscule fractals of ice and snow. She checked her trajectory only once before flicking her thumb and middle finger as if ridding herself of a pesky bug. The projectile shot from her hand and hit the Captain square in the thigh. Concentrating, she willed her ice to stick only to fabric, leaving his skin untouched, and the ice obeyed, immediately spreading. Before Revel could so much as utter a startled cry his pants here completely frozen and stiff as the wood he sat upon. When he jerked back in surprise he was shocked to find that not only were his pants frozen solid but they were also cemented to the beam.

"God's balls that's cold as hell!" Revel exclaimed and began tugging at his pants, trying to detach them from the beam. When his efforts yielded no results he turned his attention on the queen.

"Alright, I get your point. Now unfreeze me."

"Why Captain, didn't you know?" Elsa said walking around the training square and heading for the door. She paused momentarily to throw her cloak over her shoulders and looked back at him. "I don't fight fair either. Goodnight."

"Wait…wait! How am I supposed to get out of these?" Revel struggled again but only managed to pull one already freezing foot half way up his frozen pants leg.

"I'm sure a man of your talents knows how to unlace a pair of breeches," Elsa said, a wicked smile pulling at the corners of her lips.

"Somehow I don't think unlacing anything is going to help me here," Revel said with a grunt as he attempted once again to pull himself off the beam.

"Then you have two options," Elsa said reaching for the door. "One, sit and wait for them to thaw; or two, shimmy out of them. From what I understand you are a…flexible man. I have no doubt you'll be able to get free."

And with that Elsa threw the latch and stepped out into the night, cloak fluttering behind her. Revel swore loudly and began the slow process of pulling himself free of his pants, using the beams around him as leverage, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to be angry with the queen. That had been a low blow throwing the seventh sandbag into the mix, and he knew he deserved the retaliation. His grimace turned into a grin as he finally slid free on his third try, groin and legs completely numb but otherwise unharmed.

_So you do have a little fire under that poised covering of ice. Excellent. _


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** So, this chapter is actually two parter that happened totally on accident. I got so caught up in writing that when I eventually looked at the word count it was astronomical. Figuring you all would appreciate something that was significantly less that 15,000 words, I decided to split it in two at a reasonable stopping point. Also, in lieu of a few comments I've received, I've been making a real effort to work on catching small grammatical and spelling. Between writing in my spare time between two jobs and commissions it's hard to catch it all, no excuse I know, but still, I am trying.

* * *

Tuesdays, Elsa hated them with such vehemence it could have qualified as one of the seven deadly sins. For most people in her kingdom, and in any other working city on the planet, Mondays were usually the most loathed days of the week. Mondays meant going back to work, Mondays meant an end to the bliss of perhaps one day of needed rest. They were the start of the work week and were the bane of society's existence, but not for the queen. Mondays she could handle; it was Tuesday she came to utterly loathe with every fiber of her being. Tuesdays were the days she entertained dignitaries and heard the plaintive cases made by nobles about various grievances. They were the days she spent a majority of her time locked in a dueling dance with money lenders and tax collectors, discussing trade and the highs and lows of the current season. Yes, Tuesdays were the queen's long days, and today was shaping out to be one of those hateful second weekdays where she seriously toyed with the idea of icing her kingdom one more time.

After leaving her session with Revel early, partially out of playful spite for what he'd pulled with the sandbag and partially out of embarrassment for her less than mature retaliation, the young queen had promptly returned to her quarters and gone to bed, but sleep eluded her like fingers grasping at smoke. No matter how much she tossed and turned, muttered at her ceiling in frustration, paced her chamber, or tried reading she wasn't able to fall into blissful unconsciousness until the wee hours of the morning. When she finally drifted off her sleep was fractured and plagued with strange cryptic dreams that made her eyes dance under her eyelids while she muttered incoherencies at the dark chamber. It was Kai's insistent knocking that eventually woke her like a bucket of cold water to the face. Startled, the queen struggled with her comforter and somehow wound up slipping off the edge of her tall bed and crashing to the floor in an undignified heap. Back arched against the sudden pain shooting through her ribs and legs, Elsa rolled over onto her stomach and pressed her forehead against the cool wood floor, hissing through her teeth.

"Majesty, are you alright?" came Kai's worried voice from behind the door.

_Oh yes, perfectly fine,_ Elsa thought jacking herself up into a sitting position._ I've just been getting beaten by my guard Captain on a nightly basis with eighty pound sandbags and wooden sticks until I can't bloody well walk right the next morning without looking like an invalid. Of course everything's fine. Excuse me while I scrape together my jelly legs and crawl to the damn door._

"Yes, fine," she shouted instead and stumbled to her feet, rubbing her tired eyes and blinking in the soft half-light streaming in through the crack in her window curtains.

"Have I come at a bad time?" It was Kai's veiled way of saying, _why are you still in bed when there's work to be done?_

"One moment," the young queen said with as much patience as she could muster, which judging by the snaps of cold wind circling her wasn't much, and fetched her silk robe before stumbling to the door and yanking it open. Kai jumped back at the sudden cold but immediately schooled his face into a mask of apologetic politeness.

"So sorry to wake you, Majesty, but Duke Edgeden has just arrived and is waiting for you in the parlor."

_God's balls, its Tuesday isn't it?_

Elsa covered her groan by rubbing her face and pushing a few stray locks of platinum hair out of her eyes. She'd been dreading the meeting with Duke Edgeden since he'd scheduled it a month ago. The old man was pretentious and crass with a short temper and deep pockets, meaning he believed himself above most common law and courtesy. And the reason for his meeting with the queen was an irksome topic they had discussed many times before, but the old man wouldn't be content until he got his way. No, this was shaping up to be a terrible Tuesday indeed.

"Thank you Kai, I hadn't meant to oversleep. Tell the Duke I will be with him shortly."

"Shall I have breakfast brought up here for you, Majesty?"

"No, that won't be necessary. I'll skip breakfast today in order to see to the Duke." Then more quietly she added, "The faster I get to our meeting the faster he can leave."

Kai nodded knowingly, he'd witnessed the snarling matches the Duke and the queen had partaken in during past meetings, and hurried off as Elsa shut the door behind her and leaned against it, body weary and sore.

_That sandbag really did a number on me,_ Elsa thought as she attempted to take a deep breath but couldn't manage it. When she pulled her thin nightgown off and examined herself in the tall mirror beside her dresser, she wasn't surprised to find a nasty black and purple bruise the size of a dinner plate taking up a portion of her side. The young queen winced when her cool fingers brushed the sensitive surface, pain sparking like live embers.

_I honestly think Revel's trying to slowly beat me to death._

Knowing she had no chance of appearing the proper queen with a bruise as sensitive as this screaming on her side, Elsa gently spread her right hand until her fingers were splayed and pressed it against the bruise. For a brief moment there was exquisite pain before her magic began to do its job and numb the area, blissful relief washing over her like a balm. After a few minutes the bruise was somewhat less angry looking and she could at least take a semi-deep breath without coughing or grimacing.

After that dressing was a quick affair, a gown having already been laid out the day before upon her quest to Gerda. Lacing her bodice took a few minutes longer than anticipated, the young queen taking her time as she twisted to reach the laces. Her hair was the same, done in her now customary messy French braid thrown over her left shoulder. She left out the snowflake ornaments for time's sake and made her way as quickly as her aching body would allow down to the parlor where the Duke waited, pacing like a caged animal.

"The proper age for marriage is clearly outlined in our laws," Elsa said clenching her hands together so tightly her finger tips began to turn milky white. She and the Duke had been arguing for three hours now and her already frayed patience was down to its last scraggly thread.

"Those documents were written a hundred years ago, Majesty. I implore you to have them rewritten and updated. These are newer and greater times we have been blessed enough to see, and laws as archaic as that one should be amended," Duke Edgeden said thumping the table with a meaty fist, rattling the crystal glasses set between them.

"I am reminded of something my late father would say, 'If a cart already has four wheels there is no reason to add a fifth'," Elsa said icily, her brows scrunching together in a deep scowl. "Arendelle's marriage law is without flaw, and I will not rewrite it for one man who insists on wedding an underage bride for the sole reason of obtaining her dowry, no matter his station or influence."

"That is not the reasoning behind—"

"My ruling on the matter still stands, and you will obey it or be stripped of your title and jailed. We are done here, Duke Edgeden. My mind will not be swayed."

"This is an outrage!" the Duke bellowed exploding out of his chair, anger making his pudgy piggish face turn scarlet. "You would raise a peasant to the title of Barron so that the princess could wed him legally, but you will not grant me the hand of the woman I love because she, in the eyes of an archaic law, isn't of legal age? The line you walk between legal propriety and nepotism is thin, Highness."

Elsa was out of her own chair before she realized she'd moved, body shaking with barely contained rage. Ice danced at her finger tips, blue sparks jumping from finger to finger like fireflies as a bitter cold crept into the room. She could have let his comments slide, she could have overlooked his tactless approach to wedding and bedding a minor, which would have been his fifth bride in ten years, but the queen would not have her family insulted, whether to her face or behind her back. That was a mistake she could not and would not overlook, and the sudden flash of fear in the Duke's eyes was enough to tell her he understood he'd crossed a very fine line.

"You will leave my palace immediately," Elsa said walking slowly toward him, cerulean blue eyes glowing with livid anger. "You will return to your small hamlet, go to your chapel, kneel before the altar, and thank God that I had enough self-control not to have you publically flogged in the Arendelle central square for insubordination and illegal acts towards a minor. You will fall on your face and thank your Creator and all the smaller, lesser known gods of this ancient land that I didn't strip you of your title, land, and servants and leave you penniless in Edgeden hamlet! Because if you don't, I swear to God I will leave you so broken your pigs will eat better than you! Now get out!" She punctuated her last command with a blast of arctic air that buffeted the Duke and made him shriek like a maiden caught bathing in a river.

"A-a-as her Majesty c-c-commands," the Duke stammered as he edged towards the door, body shaking from head to heel. Elsa watched him like a hawk, her eyes tracking him while her body remained statuesque. He made a sharp left the instant he was past the threshold, and the young queen prepared to exhale the breath she'd been holding when the Duke shrieked again and backed into the doorway, eyes wide. Half a second later, Elsa heard the unmistakable sound of hooves on carpet and saw Sven step into her line of sight. Dumbfounded, the young queen watched as the reindeer pressed his prickly muzzle against the Duke's torso, snuffling for something under the folds of fabric.

"Majesty, what in God's name—"

"Oh hi Duke I haven't met yet!"

Elsa instantly recognized that high playful voice and hurried to the door. Sure enough, Olaf was seated atop Sven's back, little stick hands clutching the reindeer's thick shaggy pelt between his shoulder blades and stubby snow feet swinging happily. The little snowman saw Elsa and his face lit up, his already large smile quickly dominating his oval face.

"Hi Elsa!" Olaf waved enthusiastically. "Sven and I just got back from North Mountain. Big brother Marshmallow says hello and look," the little snowman pointed proudly to his head where a small triangular gold tiara glinted in the bright light of the hallway. "He said I could borrow it for a while. Isn't that great!?"

"Olaf," Elsa began and glanced at the Duke out of the corner of her eye. Judging from his stricken expression and pale complexion he was having difficulty wrapping his head around the fact that there was a full grown bull reindeer with a sentient snowman seated on its back taking up a large portion of the hallway. "Why are you ridding Sven through my palace?"

"Oh," Olaf's smile fell a little, and he looked around guiltily, "sorry, Elsa. Sven's been acting really funny lately. He keeps looking for Anna. We didn't mean to come into the palace, but he's following her scent….I think. Please don't' be mad."

"Majesty, this is highly unpro—"

"I don't believe I gave you permission to speak, sir," Elsa said snapping her gaze towards the Duke. The pudgy man blanched as if struck and wisely tightened his lips. Sven seemed to sense that something was amiss and grunted, lowering his head until the tips of his antlers pointed towards the Duke in what could have been perceived as a threatening gesture. To his credit, the Duke remained still even as beads of sweat began to accumulate along his brow line.

"Olaf, Anna is up at the Overlook with Kristoff. If you hurry you should be able to catch them. But," she said raising a finger before the snowman could speak, "you must keep Sven out of the palace from now on, understood? I will not have him wandering the halls, with or without you."

Olaf nodded vigorously, his smile returning. "Oh yes! I will make sure he stays out. You can count on me!"

"Thank you," Elsa smiled and motioned for the Duke to step aside as the little snowman nudged Sven forward. As the reindeer passed the queen and turned back towards the way he had come, Elsa noticed something and had to clench her jaw in order to keep from laughing. She'd not seen it before, but around the little snowman's shoulders hung a deep purple cape nearly four sizes too big for him. Instantly she recognized it as her lost coronation cape and wondered how and when Olaf had found it. Three years missing was a long time, but here the little snowman was riding on the back of Sven wearing her tiara and cape, looking all the world like a little prince, and Elsa couldn't help but smile. The cape was so long it draped over Sven's back haunches and trailed the ground.

"Come Sven," Olaf cried as they slowly trotted down the deserted hallway. "You are a reindeer with the face of a snowman, so we ride!"

Sven gave a content bellow and charged off down the hallway, purple cape flapping behind him like a flag.

"I trust you can find your way out, Duke Edgeden," Elsa said turning back towards a completely flabbergasted Duke. He looked as if he were about to say something but the cold look the queen gave him dried up whatever he'd been forming on his tongue. "If not, follow the reindeer but be mindful of his antlers. They are sharp but not nearly as sharp as they could be. Remember that."

And with that Elsa departed in the opposite direction, heading down the hallway towards her study and her chance to finally exhale, but solace wasn't that easily found. Before she could climb the steps leading to the residency wing, Kai intercepted the queen and informed her that two of Arendelle's treasurers had requested an emergency audience along with a prominent tax collector. It took everything in the young queen to keep from groaning aloud and burying her face in her hands. Why did all this have to happen today?

_Oh that's right, it's because it's Tuesday._

So reluctantly Elsa followed Kai to where the three men waited in nervous eagerness and began another tedious meeting that lasted into the late afternoon hours. When the queen finally managed to disentangle herself from the men and their endless questions and requests the sun was making its way towards the horizon line, painting the sky in vivid hues of pink, orange, and lavender.

Exhausted and hungry enough to eat the next piece of furniture that crossed her path, Elsa turned her tired body towards the kitchens, stomach growling loud enough it almost echoed in the hallway. Dinner would be served in a few hours, but the young queen was famished and could feel the onset of lightheadedness, a consequence for not having eaten all day. Stopping in front of the kitchen door to fumble with the tricky latch, Elsa was about to push the door open when she heard a crash and a soft string of curses from inside the room. It didn't sound remotely like Gerda who would have been on the opposite side of the palace doing her final rounds before dinner. Curiosity piqued, the queen shouldered open the door and poked her head inside. The room beyond was stuffy and dimly lit, all the hearths burning at once lending the chamber a sauna-like air. Squinting into the darkness, Elsa saw something shift next to the open pantry moments before Anna stepped into the weak firelight, arms filled with various food items.

"Really, Anna?" Elsa said with an exasperated sigh and pushed the door open, bathing the kitchen in bright light from the hallway. The young princess jumped a full three feet into the air and promptly dropped everything she'd been carrying. She would have screamed had there not been a biscuit clutched between her teeth. Instead she spat the pastry out in a hasty attempt to hide the fact that it had ever been there.

"What…what are you doing here?" Anna asked looking around to see if anyone was following the queen, body tense like a coiled spring.

"Doing the same as you, it would seem," Elsa said stepping further in and picking up a discarded pastry. Her stomach gave another plaintive growl and she sighed. It would figure the first real food she'd held in her hands all day would have come off the floor.

"I'm not doing…" the young princess pressed her lips into a thin line when her sister gave her a knowing look, one perfectly shaped eyebrow raised. "Alright, fine. I'm hungry, ok? I can't seem to get full anymore."

"That's because you are eating for two," the queen said dusting off the pastry and promptly biting into it, not caring one bit where it had come from. When you're hungry enough things like dirt and sanitation just don't matter. Happily she sank into one of the low chairs seated around the square table at the center of the room, munching enthusiastically.

"Ugh, I'm never going to get use to this," Anna sighed stooping to pick up the food she'd dropped and depositing them onto the table. She took a seat as well, picked out a doughy roll that looked to have been dusted in powdered sugar, and bit into it with a happy moan. "And to make matters worse, I've been having the weirdest cravings."

"Oh?"

"Onions and pudding, pickles and ice cream, cold boiled pot roast…and you know how much I hate cold boiled anything! But I just can't get enough, and these cravings hit in the middle of the night when I _know_ the kitchen staff is asleep, so I just toss and turn until sunrise when I can run down and tell Gerda if I don't eat something soon I'll start gnawing off my leg!"

"Well look at it this way," Elsa said between chewing and swallowing, "you only have to put up with it for a few months."

Anna groaned and finished her pastry only to pick up another at random and begin devouring it.

"Mother use to have strange cravings when she was pregnant with you," Elsa said after a moment, eyes distant as she called the memory to the forefront of her mind. Anna managed to make a questioning sound around her full mouth in response. "She used to crave boiled beets and cheese fondue, or salted cabbage stew."

The young queen laughed at the hazy memory of her mother sitting at the dining room table, belly swollen like an overly full water-skin, eating a special course prepared by the kitchen staff while the little princess and her father ate separate meals. Elsa had wrinkled her nose when the late queen had offered her a bite of her cheesy beets and laughed when her mother laughed at her expression.

"I wish she could be here," Anna said quietly, resting her hands atop her own slightly swollen stomach. "I have so many questions…"

Elsa reached out and took her sister's hands, smiling. "I know Anna, I wish the same. But we'll get through this together, you and me, stumbling around like blind fools, but we'll get through it. I promise."

Anna smiled warmly and squeezed back, happy for her older sister's nearness.

"Anyway, I wouldn't make it a habit coming into the pantry and stealing food. You may be fully grown, but I don't think Gerda would think twice about smacking you with a spoon if she caught you."

Anna winced at the memory of what Gerda's spoon could do and scratched the back of her head guilty. "You're probably right."

As if talking about the service matron somehow summoned her, Gerda walked into the kitchen and pulled up short when she saw the two women sitting at the table.

"Majesties, is there something I can get you?" the service matron said setting her bundle of freshly picked herbs down next to the door and looking at each girl in turn. Even as grown women the royal sisters shrank a bit under Gerda's cool gaze, feeling like naughty children caught with their hands in the cookie jar again.

"Forgive us, Gerda, but our stomach couldn't wait until dinner," Elsa said cleaning bits of crumbs from the corner of her mouth with a napkin from the center of the table.

"You I can understand, Majesty," Gerda said nodding at Elsa. "You've not eaten a crumb all day. But you," she turned her steely gaze into Anna who flushed a soft shade of pink, "I've fed at least three times already. Are you sure you're only having one child and not two, or perhaps three?"

Anna paled a bit. "Oh God, I hope it's only one."

"As does my supply stock," Gerda said moving towards one of the hearths and checking the contents happily simmering in a black deep-belly kettle. "Go ahead and finish your snacks in the dining room if you please, Majesties. Dinner will be ready shortly."

Both sisters rose quickly and ducked out of the kitchen, giggling as bursts of nostalgia hit them as they moved down the long servant's hallway, arm in arm.

* * *

However small the break in the queen's hectic and stressful day had been, Elsa was glad for it. It was refreshing and gave her an energy boost strong enough to carry her through her after dinner activities, mainly signing more legal contracts and trade agreements. Her brief talk with Anna in the kitchen and the nostalgia trip afterword stayed with the queen as she slipped into her nightly sparing outfit, a lavender fencer's top with a soft brown leather vest, customary fitted black breeches and black boots, and snuck off to the guard's tower for her session with Revel. Lost in thought, she pushed her way into the training chamber without noticing she'd even arrived.

"Coin for your thoughts?"

Elsa jumped and inadvertently iced the door behind her, a thin film of creeping frost climbing the wall like ivy. She spun in the direction of Revel's voice and found him leaning casually against the wall directly behind where the door would have swung open, concealing him as the queen entered. Immediately wary, Elsa slowly hung her cloak on the hook and stepped away from the Captain who smiled at her pleasantly.

"Sorry, this has been a particularly taxing day," Elsa said crossing her arm over her chest and quickly looking around the room. She noticed that the training square had been freshly swept and the weapons on the left side of the room had been moved to the right, opening up a large space that was currently taken up by four large targets. Curiously she approached the square and looked down the room at the round painted pieces of packed hay.

"No sandbags tonight?" she asked offhandedly.

"No sandbags," Revel confirmed and pushed off the wall. He walked with his hands behind his back and took measured steps, something Elsa had come to recognize as his thinking stride. The Captain came to stand next to the queen and cleared his throat. "Tonight we're going to do things a little differently."

"Is this payback for freezing your pants?" Elsa asked, not wanting to beat around the bush with her instructor. Revel wasn't a vengeful man, as far as she could tell, but he wasn't acting his usual calm self tonight. In fact, the Captain seemed hesitant with an undertone of excitement burning in his green eyes, and that made the queen nervous.

"No, Majesty—"

"I told you, call me Elsa when we are alone in this room," the queen said firmly.

"Apologies, I'd forgotten," Revel replied with a slight bow that had nothing to do with formality. "No, Elsa this isn't payback for freezing my pants, though I do commend you on a marvelous display of retaliation."

Elsa flushed and made sure to keep her eyes on the targets. "That was unprofessional of me to do."

"As was throwing down a surprise eighty pound sandbag," Revel said tilting his head.

"You're the instructor. I expect you to throw in some—"

"It could have seriously hurt you had you not had the foresight to turn sideways," Revel interrupted. Surprised by the concern in his voice, Elsa turned and caught a fleeting glimpse of regret flash across Revel's face.

"I'm not angry with you," she said quietly, drawing his steely gaze away from the targets and gracing him with a quick smile. "I should have expected there to be at least one catch to the exercise."

"Regardless," Revel said with a sigh, "it wasn't right of me. So, I've decided to forgo your training with the sandbags in lieu of something new." The Captain clapped his hands together and strode out into the center of the training square directly between Elsa and the targets.

"Archery?" Elsa ventured with a shrug.

"Close, but on a more…personal scale. I realized something last night after you left, and I wanted to ask you about it. When you froze my pants how did you do it?"

Elsa blinked and frowned. "I'm not sure I understand your question."

"How did you freeze my pants?"

"With my powers," the young queen said slowly.

"Yes, of course," Revel said in a tone that sounded like it could have been attached to an eye roll, "but _how_ did you do it? What were you thinking of when you sent that little ball of cold air up to me? How did you _only_ freeze my pants and nothing else?"

"Ah, now I understand. Well," Elsa scratched her neck idly and began pacing the width of the training square, mind trying to dissect how she'd actually used her magic last night without causing harm to the Captain. "It's hard to explain, but the way I see it, I first called the ice to my hand."

"Show me," Revel said falling into step alongside the queen. Elsa obliged and summoned a carbon copy of the same semi-formed ball of ice she'd used last night. It hovered above her palm on a cushion of super cold air that the Captain could feel even at a slight distance. "Wonderful, what happened next?"

"I flicked it off my hand with my thumb and middle finger." Elsa demonstrated and the coin sized piece of ice flew off her palm and struck the floor a few feet away where it exploded into a wide silver pool of frost upon impact.

"How did you keep it from sticking to my skin and only staying on my pants?" Revel asked walking over to the ice pool and squatting down so he could dip his fingers into the white fractals.

Elsa made a face somewhere between frustration and annoyance, unable to form her thoughts into proper, understandable words. She'd spent countless hours breaking apart her powers in her head over the course of her lifetime, but actually putting those carefully cataloged thoughts into coherent words was proving to be a challenge. Finally decided to just try her best to explain and hope she didn't sound like an idiot.

"The only thing I can tell you is that I willed it not to go any farther than your pants and to only stick to the fabric. I guess it's like whispering a command to a servant. They obey immediately without question. My ice works like that, or at least has begun to the more I use it. Sometimes it has the ability to override me, like then you startled me just a few moments ago and I frosted the door." Elsa pointed to the now thawed door to emphasize her point.

"So your ice also works on an emotional level," Revel said stroking his chin, eyes bright.

"It has the ability to, yes," Elsa nodded. "When I'm happy I can control my powers without much trouble, but when I'm in a state of high emotion, fear, sadness, anxiety or pain, my powers tend to take on a life of their own. It works on a subconscious level."

"A manifestation of your conscious and subconscious thought into physical form," Revel said more to himself than to the queen. Elsa stared at the Captain in stunned surprise, not having expected him to grasp her meaning so quickly.

"Yes, you pretty much have the gist of it."

"I had a feeling that was the case, but I wanted to make absolutely sure before we began tonight's lessons." Standing, Revel stepped aside and gestured to the targets. "You have excelled in all that I've taught you up to this point, Elsa. You have proven to be an excellent student and have a firm grasp on the basic foundations of combat, so I'm pleased to announce that we will no longer be going through drills or dodging sandbags. Now we begin weapons training, but with a twist. I will again teach you the basics of weapons combat, but you will not be using any of the weapons you see in this room. In fact, you will not be using wood or metal weapon at all."

Elsa understood what the Captain was getting at and felt her pulse quicken. "You want me to only use my ice. Why?"

"For one very important reason. Your ice, unlike the weapons you see lining these walls, cannot be taken from you. Remember the first conversation you and I had regarding your powers and using them while training?"

Elsa nodded, "Your argument was that my ice was the best multi-tool I could have when it comes to combat."

"And I still stand by that statement. Your magic gives you a near limitless supply of possibilities when it comes to self-defense and combat, as well as the added benefit of carry almost any weapon on you at any given time. So that is what we will begin working on, shaping your magic into useable weapons with which you can summon at a moment's notice. For now we'll focus on the smaller end of things such as daggers, knives, and short swords as well as some range weapons."

"Well, unless you were planning on having me hurtle swords down your training chamber, I doubt those targets are meant for anything save for arrows. Possibly arrows like this," Elsa said and instantly a long delicate arrow appeared in her hand with a swirl of blue and white. Revel blinked in surprise and gently took the projectile from the queen.

"This…is beautiful." Carefully, because he didn't know how fragile the arrow was, Revel slid his fingers down the shaft and over the crystal fetching at the end, marveling how each individual feather fiber came apart and locked back together like the real thing. "This is a far cry better than I had hoped. How did you get the fetching so accurate?"

"Practice," Elsa said with a hint of pride. She'd been practicing for months trying to get the arrow right. The shaft hadn't been hard, it was essentially a long thin ice cycle; the arrowhead was the same, she could mold ice into wickedly sharp pieces without even thinking, but the fetching had proven difficult. Sure she could form a guiding base for the arrow out of solid ice and it would still fly true, but there was a subtle beauty to natural feather fetching that she had been desperate to capture. So after hundreds of failures, Elsa had finally figured out how to make her ice form into individual feather fibers that acted just like the real thing.

"Do you know how strong it is?"

"I'd wager as strong as any ice would be," Elsa said with a shrug.

"May I?" Revel said gripping the center of the shaft like a man about to snap a twig in half.

"Be my guest."

It didn't take much to snap the ice arrow in half, the brittle shaft coming apart in a clean break. Revel examined the break carefully, sharp eyes following the fracture lines. He even went as far as putting the two pieces back together to see if they still fit one another snugly. With the flick of her wrist, Elsa mended the shaft, leaving behind a small band of discoloration from where it had fused back together.

"I have a feeling that will be a weak point on the arrow now."

"Good thing I can make more," Elsa said smiling.

"It's a pity you can't make them stronger…" A thought suddenly struck the Captain and he looked up at the queen excitedly. "I have an idea. Here, make a new arrow."

Elsa obliged and another perfect arrow formed in her hand.

"You said that when you sent that ball of ice up to me you willed it to stick to only my pants, correct?"

Elsa nodded.

"I want you to concentrate on this arrow," Revel said grabbing the shaft like he'd done with the previous one, "and pour all your will into it to keep it from snapping."

"I'm not sure it works that way," Elsa said skeptically, squinting at the ice arrow. She'd never thought about enhancing the tensile strength of her ice before because circumstances had never called for it. During her duel with the Weselton brothers three years ago she'd not been concerned about how strong her ice was, just how fast she was able to parry their attacks. But now that she thought about it, Revel's words made a great deal of sense. She had the ability to cast her will into her ice and make it do things normal ice would never do, so it was entirely possible she could will the arrow not to break.

"Alright, let's give it a go," the queen said spreading her feet in order to anchor herself. Revel grinned and readied himself, arms already applying a slight amount of pressure to the shaft.

Elsa sank into herself, falling down the long tunnel to where her ice swirled behind her solar plexus in a soft undulating ball. Tapping into her power was akin to twitching a finger or making a fist, she just had to think about it, mentally reach for the ball, and it came to her instantaneously. Submerging herself entirely in her power wasn't something she often did, fearing that if she went too far she'd somehow lose her human anchor and be swept away by ice and snow, but today she dove deep and anchored herself there. Taking a slow breath through her nose, Elsa extended her mental reach until she felt the ice arrow nestled in Revel's hands. It being the only piece of magical ice in the room, she was able to lock onto it with ease, the projectile practically glowing in her mind's eye. Centering herself mentally, the queen called to the ice and re-bound it to her like interlacing fingers. Even at a short distance she could feel every facet, every fractal, every flake that went into forming the arrow, and she broke those elements down to a molecular level and inserted the weaves of her willpower into the gaps until the arrow responded to her every thought and whim.

_Strong,_ she told the ice in the simple language of water. _Hold strong. _

Opening her eyes, Elsa extended her hand, fingers splayed and brow furrowed in concentration. She physically felt it when Revel began to apply pressure on the shaft, a building tension behind her eyes like the headaches she sometimes got when a storm system rolled in off the sea. In addition to the tension, Elsa also felt a slight burning in her nose that reminded her of accidentally snorting water, and a firm weight pressing down on her shoulders. This trifecta of feeling simultaneously hit as the Captain continued to try and snap the arrow and grew in intensity the harder he pushed.

"This is amazing," Revel breathed. He could feel the ice snapping and crackling under his palms but it didn't snap or fracture in the slightest. He smiled up at Elsa who returned his grin with and thin smile, face set in a concentrated scowl.

"How hard can you make it? Is this as far as you can go?"

"Try and break it if you can. I love a challenge," Elsa said and took a step closer to the Captain, hand still extended. Revel seemed to love the idea of a magical tug of war and redoubled his efforts, bending in half at the waist in order to get more leverage.

Elsa felt the effects of his force like a blow and winced as the tension behind her eyes and weight on her shoulders steadily increased. Teeth gritted, she pushed back harder, doubling her previous will-push and commanding the ice to hold. The two remained locked in a stalemate for a few minutes, Revel giving ground as his muscles began to fatigue only to muster up more strength and press harder while Elsa did the same.

"You have an amazingly strong will," Revel grunted attempting to shake away the sweat dripping down into his eyes. He laughed to himself, eyes moving between Elsa and the arrow and back again. Had he been paying closer attention he'd have seen that the queen's extended right hand was shaking badly, finger tips chalky white as if she were pressing against a solid brick wall, her once focused expression morphing into one of slightly bearable pain. Had the Captain looked up, he'd have also seen that the bright cerulean of the queen's eyes was starting to dim as a swirling white-gray film overtook her natural blue color.

Jaws clench so tightly she thought she was going to crack her back teeth, Elsa tried to maintain her hold on the arrow, but she could feel the shaft starting to break. The effect was like being stuck under an unbearably heavy weight. Every muscle, every joint, every bone screamed in unison for the pressure to stop. She realized with a thrill of fear that it had been a mistake to completely bind her will with the arrow because now she was unable disentangle from her magic. She'd plunged too far too fast and wove herself too finely into the fibers that when the arrow began to crack and splinter she felt her mind do the same.

_Don't let him break the arrow! _A voice from somewhere deep inside the recesses of her fracturing mind screamed, but it was too late. The sound of cracking ice filled every inch of her being.

"God you're strong, but I think…I'm getting…the upper…hand!" Revel said as he began to feel the shaft bend. He was just about to snap the arrow when he noticed two things. One was a tiny grain of abnormally bright pulsating light beginning to grow at the center of the shaft between his knuckle white hands. The second was the pained exhale from the queen. Both of these things caught his attention, and he snapped his head up in surprised concern with just enough time to realize something had gone terribly wrong before the arrow in his hand exploded like an arctic powder keg and threw both participants back.

Gasping as a cold unlike anything he'd ever felt before enveloped him in icy arms, Revel struggled to rid himself of the thick coating of ice and snow clinging to his skin. He could feel his eyelids sticking together each time he blinked, and his hands seemed to have frozen into immobile fists still clenching either end of the ice arrow. Eventually the ringing in his ears subsided, and he rolled onto his side, coughing as his lungs spasmed around the super cold air swirling around him. Brushing more ice from his face, Revel pushed himself into a sitting position and felt his jaw hit the floor as the extent of the damage done to his training chamber sank in. Twenty feet in any given direction sheets and fangs of ice clung to everything. The ground under him was entirely ice, great swirling patterns dancing across the floor in a curious design that looked like a snowflake, but it was what sat at the center of the training square that dominated his attention. Revel could only describe what he was seeing as a fountain frozen in time, arms of water stopped in mid arch and twist and left to harden. It was beautiful, it was elegant, and it would have been something he could have appreciated had he not noticed the crumpled form of the queen lying beside it.

"Elsa!" Revel struggled to his feet, the ice making it hard to find traction. Finally he was up and moving and skittered to her side, sliding most of the way on his knees. Remarkably none of the ice had touched her. "Elsa, are you alright? Majesty, can you hear me?"

The sight of dark crimson droplets staining the frozen earth around her made his heart stop, and he frantically began checking her body for wounds but found none. It seemed most of the blood was coming from her nose, streaks of red tricking down her face, cheeks and neck in finger thick streams. He spotted trails of red in her hair where more blood trailed out of her ears and stained her platinum locks like fallen petals of a rust colored flower.

"Shit….shit!" Frantically Revel cast about for something to stop the bleeding but couldn't find anything that wasn't encased in ice. And to make matters worse the room was beginning to get colder, that or he was finally feeling the full effects of the wintery wonderland on his unprepared body. Either way, the Captain knew he couldn't stay in the training chamber much longer, but he wasn't about to leave the queen, and he couldn't very well take her directly to the Physician without questions being asked. So against his better judgment, Revel scooped the limp young woman into his arms and made his careful way towards a small iron and wood door on the far side of the room.

One handed, he turned the doorknob, hissing as the cold metal bit into his palm, and stepped into the warmth of his personal chamber. Kicking the door shut behind him with a rattling slam, Revel quickly walked to his bed and lay Elsa down as gingerly as he could, mindful of her head and the injuries she might have sustained. Body already starting to thaw, the Captain hurriedly threw on a fresh shirt and trousers before moving with efficient precision around his surprisingly spacious quarters, gathering a clean wash basin, tea kettle and a few strips of linen from his medical kit. Opening a small high window, Revel leaned out and grabbed the rain bucket he kept wedged under a roof eave, checked the freshness of the water with a quick sip then poured it into the kettle to begin boiling over the small fire in his hearth. What water remained in the bucket he used to wet a linen strip and began cleaning the blood off the queen's face.

"God, I'm such an idiot," Revel said to himself as he gently wiped at the bright streaks of crimson. "That was an insanely stupid thing for me to ask you to do."

Elsa didn't stir even when he gently turned her head and began clearing the blood from her neck. Some of it had rolled beneath the collar of her vest, and before he realized what he was doing, Revel undid the ornate brass buttons and pulled the leather away revealing the low dip of her lavender fencer's top. Mouth suddenly dry, the Captain stared at the queen's slender throat and bare upper chest, her soft pale skin almost glowing in the low light of the hearth fire. He could see the faint impression of her collar bones as her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, the top of her breasts just barely visible under…

_Shit, get a hold of yourself!_

Luckily it was at that moment that the kettle began to whistle, signaling the water was boiling happily. Thankful for the chance to keep his hands and thoughts occupied, Revel poured the steaming contents into the wash basin beside him and submerged the last of his clean linen into the hot water. As they steeped, he turned his attention back to the queen and on the task of unpinning her hair. In order to see if she'd sustained any cuts to the scalp, Revel had to clear away the now dried blood, and he couldn't very well do that while her hair was pinned back in a severe bun. It took him a few minutes to puzzle out the strange way Elsa had wrestled her hair into submission, but once free her long locks fell in a slightly wavy bundle past her elbows.

"You really have some seriously long hair," Revel mumbled as he set to work removing the chunks of dried blood by pressing the warm rags against her ears and temples. This seemed to rouse the queen a bit, and she moaned lightly in her sleep but didn't stir any further than that. The Captain did his best to check for any unforeseen injuries and again came up empty. She was whole and healthy aside from being unconscious.

Work complete, Revel sat back in the chair he'd pulled over to the side of his bed and watched the queen sleep for a few moments, memories of when he'd done a similar act rising into his conscious thoughts. She'd been eighteen then and had just gotten word of her parent's tragic death at sea. He remembered taking the young queen from an indignant Kai, her weight somehow surprisingly comfortable in his arms. He'd noticed the strange cold rolling off the young girl but had wisely decided to keep mum on the subject as he followed the manservant and service matron to a nearby guest room. Upon setting her down on the bed, Elsa had opened her eyes and stared hazily at him, and that had been the first time Revel had realized just how strikingly beautiful the queen really was. Of course he'd never admit this to her or anyone else, but it was times like those and times like these as he watched over his sleeping queen that Revel regretted the path his life had taken him on and how different things could have been had he done things differently.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** So here's part two! I think this is the fastest I've ever written a chapter, but I'm pretty sure having two snow days back-to-back helped immensely with getting this thing done. Not working for two days is definitely a godsend for writers and artists. I've gotten so much work done! Anyway, hope you all like it. This was definitely fun to write. The next chapter is going to take me a while to finish, so bare with me, it might be a few weeks until I post again.

* * *

Elsa woke an hour later, hazy and confused. Blinking in the low firelight, she let her eyes wander around her strange surroundings, unsure of where she was or what had happened. This certainly wasn't the training chamber, that was plainly evident by the low light and the fact that she was laying on a wide bed against what felt like a pillow stuffed with a mixture of rocks and sheep's wool. She could smell the faint herbal scent of tea steeping and the warm tang of wood smoke as all five of her senses slowly kicked into working order. When she tried to sit up a wave of nausea hit her like a fist to the stomach and she collapsed back into the lumpy, unfamiliar mattress, groaning.

"Ah, you're awake."

The queen turned towards the fire to her right and squinted at Revel, trying to remember what she'd been doing the last time they'd been together. Had they trained already and, if so, why weren't they still in the chamber? The Captain saw the confused look on her face and took a seat beside her, elbows resting on his knees and fingers laced together.

"It would appear so," Elsa said, hand over her eyes as the last of the nausea passed. Revel felt himself relax a little when she responded to his question. Apparently the queen still retained her hearing after the blast.

"Do you remember anything?" he said leaning towards her, the chair he currently occupied creaking softly.

"I…" Elsa's brow furrowed as she tried to piece together the events of that day. It was like something had blown holes in her memory like shrapnel ripping through oil cloth. She could recall fragments of conversations, body gestures, smells, but as a whole, her day resembled Swiss cheese in her mind.

"I remember it's Tuesday, and that I'd had a long day," she began slowly, pulling her shards of memory back together like a giant puzzle. "Anna and I spoke in the kitchen this evening, and I remember we had dinner with Kristoff a few hours later. I had to sign a few documents after dinner, and then I came here…or wherever we are right at this moment."

"You're in my personal chambers," Revel said quietly. If this bothered the queen at all she didn't let on, simply nodding and continuing to piece her day back together.

"I showed you my ice arrow," Elsa said, suddenly remembering. She'd felt so proud when Revel had marveled at it, warmth spreading through her chest and rising into her cheeks. Then more of the picture began to come together and she frowned. "You wanted to see how strong I could make my ice, and you tried to break the arrow."

"I did break it, but I think something more happened," Revel sighed and looked away, sitting back in his chair. It felt like there was a lead ball suspended in his stomach that increased in weight each time he thought back on the moment just before the arrow broke. He could see the queen's pained expression so clearly in his mind's eye; her eyes almost glowing with a strange grayish white color seconds before the shaft exploded in his hands and his world was plunged into a hellish cold. Swallowing the steadily growing lump in his throat, Revel tried to keep his face a calm professional mask but knew he was failing miserably. There was no hiding how guilty he felt.

"God, my head feels like it's been stuffed with molten iron and someone's beating on it with a hammer," Elsa groaned and jacked herself into a sitting position. Luckily the nausea stayed away this time, and she was able to pull herself upright. She jerked in surprise when Revel gently pressed a cup into her hands, folding her long fingers around the blissfully warm ceramic sides. For a moment the queen sat and enjoyed the warmth of the mug in her hands, inhaling the fragrant steam rising from the dark liquid and smiling.

"Should I be skeptical of any food you give me?" Elsa asked glancing at the Captain.

"I'm not going to drug you, if that's what you're asking," he replied dubiously.

"A girl can never be too sure when in the presence of a stranger."

Revel sniffed indignantly and shrugged. "To think, I'd thought we'd moved to the stage of professional friendship. Still, I am your instructor," he said with a half-smile. "And as your instructor I instruct you to drink your tea and relax."

Elsa gave the mug a skeptical look, knowing she was being blatantly obtuse but unable to help herself. Humor seemed to ease the nervous energy sparking between her and the Captain the longer they sat so close to one another.

"It's a tea I give my men when they've had too much to drink," the Captain explained.

"Do they often wake with hangovers?" Elsa asked taking a tentative sip. The tea had been sweetened with honey and had a pleasant citrus note to it.

"After the occasional Sunday drinking game, yes." Crossing his arms over his chest, Revel took a breath and asked the question that had been bothering him since he'd brought the queen to his chambers. "What exactly happened back in the training chamber; because I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out what went wrong and where. Did you know the arrow would explode?"

"I'm not exactly sure what happened either," Elsa said shaking her head and realizing for the first time that her hair was unbound. Platinum locks spilled over her shoulders and tickled the backs of her arms. "You untied my hair?"

"I had to get the blood out of it," Revel explained and nodded towards the wash basin on the floor next to the door, its water tinted a rosy pink.

The queen looked startled and began running her fingers through her hair. "I was bleeding?"

"Heavily from the nose and ears. That's why I brought you in here. That and the explosion effectively iced my training chamber, but I'm sure it's thawing now." When Elsa didn't respond, Revel felt the urge to keep talking in order to fill the silence. "I figured it would have been a bad idea to take you to the physician since I'm sure she would have started asking questions."

"Very wise of you," the young queen said taking another sip of her tea. Finally she let out a sigh and set aside her cup, swinging around so that she could speak to Revel face-to-face. "I don't really understand what happened, but I think I might have submerged too deep in my powers. It's….hard to put into words exactly what happened. I remember there being a lot of pressure behind my eyes, in my nose, and on my shoulders, and the harder you pushed on the arrow the stronger those feelings became. When the shaft began to break I…" Elsa trailed off suddenly at a loss for words. What _had_ happened when the shaft broke? It wasn't like anything she'd ever felt before, like her mind had fractured into hundreds of different shards all spreading in different directions. She had almost felt as if she'd become the ice, her mind, her consciousness, binding with the arrow. When it snapped she snapped, but it had been the back-build of power that had thrown her and Revel back and knocked her unconscious. The actual mental splintering she'd been fully conscious for.

"Are you by chance familiar with the Asian lore surrounding warriors and their weapons?" Revel asked.

"I can't say that I am."

"Many Asian warriors believe that a weapon, no matter the size or lethality, is a part of the body as much as an arm or leg. They believe that a warrior's soul is somehow embedded in the steal of their swords, worked into every blacksmith fold from start to finish. It becomes a part of them, oftentimes cherished more than a loved one. Your ice is very similar. It's a part of you that lives and breathes alongside you in every aspect of your life. When you made that arrow it was a piece of your soul, your imagination, your willpower manifested into physical form. When I broke your arrow I…" Revel faltered and swallowed hard, not sure why this was so difficult to say, "I broke you along with it."

Elsa stared at the Captain in genuine surprise, unsure of what to add to his statement. She certainly didn't blame him for what had happened, it was an accident neither of them had anticipated would happen, but apparently that wasn't the case for Revel. She watched his shoulders slump as he broke eye contact and hung his head like a chastised child.

"Hey," she said leaning forward. On reflex, she reached out and took his hand in hers, squeezing gently. "You're really shaken up about this, aren't you?"

"I promised you a safe place to train and practice the first day of lessons, and I feel like I've broken that promise. Bruises and sore muscles are one thing, but you were bleeding, Elsa. My first thought was that the ice had impaled you. Then I saw the blood coming from your ears and thought the worst had happened. I've known men in the past who've sustained head injuries that killed them hours after leaving the Physician. It was either that or you'd popped your ear drums. Either way nothing good happened to you, and I feel responsible."

"But I'm fine," Elsa insisted and flashed him a reassuring smile. Revel felt the familiar explosion of battle armor butterflies tumble around in his stomach and shifted uncomfortably. Being in such close proximity to the queen, her smooth pale skin and undone platinum hair glowing in the firelight, he was once again taken aback by her stunning natural beauty. And the fact that she seemed so sincere about not being angry with him, about being alright with what had happened, made him want to believe everything was actually alright between them, but he couldn't shake the feeling he'd done something terrible.

"But you could have been seriously hurt because I goaded you into a magical wrestling match. I honestly don't know what I would have done had you been seriously injured."

"But I wasn't, Revel. You can sit here for as long as you like playing the 'what if' game, but the fact is I'm _fine_. Aside from the headache, which your lovely tea is helping with, I'm perfectly healthy. In fact, I'm more concerned about your health than mine. My ice usually doesn't hurt me, but it's not the same for the people around me. That explosion could have seriously hurt _you_." Elsa squinted at the Captain and leaned a bit closer, aware she was pushing the boundaries of his personal space, "It didn't, did it?"

Revel stiffened as the queen leaned in, her nearness both terrifying and thrilling at the same absurd time. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest like a war drum and was sure she could hear it to. "Aside from a little frost burn on my palms and nose, I'm perfectly fine."

Elsa didn't seem satisfied with his answer and took his hands in her, turning them palm up. She shifted on the bed and bent the Captain at an awkward angle until the firelight fell across his upturned hands. Sure enough, the skin of his palms was raw and red, small white blisters starting to form near the webbing between his fingers. The queen made a disheartened noise and ran her thumb gently across the palm of his right hand, memories of her own hands looking like this coming to mind.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and had to physically stop herself from leaning down and kissing his palms like she would have done with Anna.

"No apology needed," Revel said gently twisting his hands around until they covered hers, fingers and all. "I've had worse injuries, believe me."

Time seemed to stand still as both Captain and Queen sat in the comfortable silence that had befallen the room, content on watching the other or delving into private thoughts. There wasn't a need for conversation, the two having said all they could say and both choosing to remain silent as the moments stretched on. It was the queen who eventually broke the quiet, withdrawing her hands from Revel's and feeling the sudden loss of his natural warmth like a physical blow.

"My head is feeling much better now," she said lamely and silently cursed herself for not having something more meaningful to say.

"I credit the tea," Revel said with a lopsided smile. "Would you care for more? I have to admit, I'm not being a very hospitable host."

Elsa snorted and rolled her eyes. "Of course, how utterly crass of you to carry me in here and clean the blood from my face and head while I was unconscious. And to think you _only_ gave me your bed to rest on, and you _only_ brewed me special tea that would soothe my headache upon waking. Oh yes, you are undoubtedly the most inhospitable host I've ever come across."

"Alright, alright point taken," Revel chuckled, refilling the queen's mug and handing it back to her. She smiled and nodded her thanks, taking tentative sips of the hot liquid and sighing happily.

"So you think you broke my soul when you broke my arrow?" Elsa said after Revel had settled back in his chair.

"That's the only explanation I could come up with on such short notice. Give me a few days, and I'll come up with something more poetic."

"Well then, Captain, you should feel proud," Elsa said over the rim of her mug, a wicked grin pulling at her lips. "You're the first man to break my soul. Congratulations."

Revel all but spat out his tea, coughing as he choked on the hot liquid. Elsa couldn't help but laugh at him, and the sound of her laughter was like a deaf man hearing music for the first time. Had Revel not been attempting to regain composure and breathe at the same time he would have reveled in it.

"I'm sorry, that was mean of me," Elsa said between giggles.

"I…um…you know there's really no comeback to that, so I'm just going to shut my mouth before I get myself in trouble."

Elsa laughed again and scooted back farther onto his bed so that her legs weren't hanging so far off the edge. She had a slow ache beginning to spread down the back of her legs that probably had nothing to do with tonight's events and everything to do with a stray sandbag the day before. Still a little uncomfortable, she shifted a few times before finding a place between the lumps where she could relax.

"Your bed is highly uncomfortable. How do you sleep on something this lumpy?"

"Well, not all of us can afford to sleep on feather mattresses with down pillows, now can we?" Revel said raising an eyebrow. "Some of us sleep on what we can afford or make on our own."

"You made this bed?" Elsa asked looking down at the comforter and sheets under her. The comforter was a patchwork quilt of different sized gray and blue fabric that alternated between wool and cotton. It looked old and hand stitched but wasn't uncomfortable or itchy to lie against. The sheets underneath were plain gray, as was the case for his pillow, and looked to be cotton as well rather than the standard wool most guards slept on.

"The quilt yes, the sheets no, and the mattress yes. I made the quilt out of scrap pieces of fabric I found lying around, and the mattress was a necessity. Guards usually sleep on cots or in hammocks depending on rank, and after so many years of sleeping on a rock hard cot, I decided I'd earned a bit of luxury and sewed my own mattress out of leftover pillowcases, what fabric I could afford, and stuffed it with sheep's wool and various pieces of scrap fabric. Believe me it's like sleeping on a cloud compared to what my men sleep on."

Elsa patted the lumpy mattress and smiled. "I didn't take you for a man who knew anything about sewing. You are an enigma, Captain. I seem to stumble upon a surprising quark or talent at least once a week with you."

"I've learned a lot of things over the years and through my travels," Revel said over the rim of his own mug.

"Oh? You've traveled in the past?"

The Captain could have kicked himself and cursed silently as he took another drink. His past wasn't something he wanted to delve into with anyone, especially not the queen. There was just too much there, too much pain and confusion, too much danger and half-truths to wade through, but he'd opened his mouth and, once again, inserted his foot.

"My father he…he use to take me and my brothers on business trips with him to neighboring kingdoms and hamlets. It was a rare opportunity for us, and we loved visiting new places. I think the farthest my father took us was Rome to see where the Silk Road ended."

"Your father was a merchant?" Elsa asked intrigued. She'd never been able to get Revel to speak about his past or his family, so this was a rare opportunity to learn a little about the mysterious man who was her instructor.

Revel nodded. "He traded mostly in spice."

"What was his name?"

"Gregor," the Captain said quietly, eyes trained on the floor and tea forgotten. He could feel the customary tightness in his chest begin to grow whenever he spoke about his late father. "Gregor Spezerei Handler."

"Your father was German?" Elsa said surprised. Revel didn't have the faintest inkling of a German accent, but that could have been attributed to him leaving home at such a young age.

"My father was, and my mother was Finnish. We used to live in a hamlet just outside Asham kingdom, which was why my father was so heavily involved in the spice trade."

_That actually makes a lot of sense,_ Elsa thought watching Revel while she continued to drink her tea. Asham kingdom and the hamlets surrounding it were well-known for their spice trade. Arendelle frequently did business with Asham, though Elsa had never met the ruling monarch personally. King Adrek was a solitary man who rarely left his kingdom. She would have to remember to invite him to the Spring Trade Summit in May.

"So," Revel said suddenly standing and moving over to the hearth, placing his mug on the mantel and moving the kettle away from the fire. He felt the need to distance himself from the queen and the conversation surrounding his family, and chose to use basic housekeeping as his cover for moving their conversation out of treacherous waters. "Have you ever had the ability to travel?"

"You would think that being the queen I would, but I've never been outside Arendelle."

"Your family never traveled when you were younger?"

Elsa made a face somewhere between regret and open longing that wasn't lost on the Captain. "My parents had dreams of traveling the different kingdoms with my sister and me, but when I was eight…things changed in the palace."

For the first time since he'd started spending time with the queen, Revel saw true sadness arch across Elsa's face and watched her close in on herself, arms tightening around her stomach. Suddenly she wasn't the ruling monarch of Arendelle anymore but a sad lonely girl looking back on memories that seemed to be filled only with pain. Forgetting the misgivings he'd felt only moments ago, Revel crossed the room and sat on the bed next to her, torn between offering physical comfort or just letting his close proximity ease the discomfort of the situation.

"I'm sorry if I brought up painful memories," he said gently.

"No, it's ok; it's not your fault. Sometimes it's hard to look back on the past without feeling the painful echoes." Elsa took a deep breath and turned towards the Captain, thankful for his nearness. Somehow just having him at arm's length was both stabilizing and comforting. "When I was eight, I hurt Anna. We were playing in the throne room one evening, and I accidentally struck her in the head with my powers. After that day she lost all memory I had powers, and my parents, seeing an opportunity, wanted to keep it that way. They limited the staff and closed the castle off to everyone save the select few who remained behind. It wasn't supposed to be a permanent thing, just until I was able to control my powers, but Mother and Father had never raised a child with…special needs. I wasn't able to control my ice, so I closed myself off from everyone in order to protect them. I stayed that way until three years ago when I once again accidentally unleashed my powers during my coronation celebration. So you see why I never got the chance to travel. During my younger years, I was too scared to leave my room for fear of hurting someone. Now I have the duties of a queen that keep me bound to my palace, but it's always been a dream of mine to see other kingdoms. I love Arendelle, don't misunderstand me, but there's a whole world out there I want to see someday."

"You stayed cloistered in your room for _thirteen years_?" Revel gaped in stunned awe. He'd heard of people going to great length to protect their family, hell he'd even done it, but he couldn't imagine the pain and loneliness of being segregated from the ones you love because of something you couldn't control.

"I had to," Elsa said flexing her hands and watching tiny blue sparks dance along her fingertips. "I couldn't control my powers like I can today."

"That's why you were so hesitant about using them as a weapon," Revel said realizing the reason for the queen's nervousness during their first meeting. It had nothing to do with shyness and everything to do with not wanting to hurt anyone. Elsa viewed her powers as a curse, but Revel had never known she'd unintentionally harmed her sister with them. Suddenly it was like he was putting a lost puzzle piece in place, and the hazy picture was starting to become clear.

"I never wanted to put anyone in harm's way because of my powers. It's honestly one of my worst fears, but I realized after the assassination attempt last year that I can't keep running from myself. And with Anna pregnant, I know I have to put aside my own personal misgivings and learn how to protect myself and my family; because that's what queens do. We protect our subjects, and I realized I've got something others don't."

"Endless grace, charm, and a rapier wit?" Revel ventured with a half-smile.

Elsa chuckled and made a face at him. "Flattery will get you everywhere in life, but nowhere with me."

"Apologies," Revel grinned.

"I have my magic, and I have you to teach me how to protect what's mine, which is more than I could ever ask for."

Revel didn't know if his face could contain his smile, but it definitely tried. "I will continue to do everything in my power to prepare for the time when you may have to protect your family; though God willing that moment will never come in your lifetime."

Elsa returned the Captain's grin and was about to say more when the clock on his wall suddenly sprang to life and announced the hour with a resounding clang. Startled, she searched for and found the timepiece, squinting at the hands in the low firelight.

"Is it already one in the morning?" Elsa asked scooting to the end of the bed for a better look.

"It would appear so," Revel said standing and lighting an oil lamp sitting next to a plain wood desk. He would have lit it sooner but had decided against it because of the queen's headache. Instantly the room filled with soft light, and Elsa was able to get a good look at the Captain's quarters.

He occupied a spacious room that was more finely decorated than his office had been. Thick wool tapestries hung from the cool brick walls, effectively damming the drafts most tower rooms were notorious for. At the foot of the bed was a large bookshelf stuffed with so many books and papers the supporting shelves were beginning to bow under the weight. He'd set a writing desk under a small rectangular window on the far side of the room, a large leatherback tome spread open on the smooth cool wood surface. Directly beside the desk was a tall wardrobe with one door slightly ajar, the sleeve of a long white tunic peeking out. A small two person dining table occupied the space in front of a decently sized hearth, and above the mantle hung two ornate swords.

"I must say your quarters are very cozy, Captain."

"It definitely has its charming moments," Revel said turning back to the queen and pulling up short. He winced before he could stop himself and scratched the back of his head. "Ow, I didn't see that until just now."

Elsa raised an eyebrow and looked down at herself. "What are you talking about?"

"It's best if I show you," Revel said taking the queen by the hand and leading her over to the wardrobe. He gently opened the door revealing a slender mirror bolted to the inside. Stepping aside, he positioned the queen in front of the mirror.

"I not sure I'm seeing what you're seeing," Elsa said examining her reflection. There didn't seem to be anything amiss aside from the fact that she was in desperate need of a bath and a fresh pair of cloths.

"Look at your right eye."

Leaning in, Elsa shifted so the lamplight fell across her face and sucked in a breath. "What on earth?"

One half of her eye was completely normal, the white surrounding her cerulean blue iris healthy and clear, but the half closest to her tear duct was a livid crimson. It seemed as if every capillary had burst on one side, splitting her eye down the middle like a white rose with half its petals submerged in red dye.

"How did that happen?" she asked leaning as close to the mirror as possible and examining her eye. I certainly looked bad despite the fact that she couldn't feel any difference. She probably would have never noticed until one of the castle staff or Anna had drawn attention to it, and suddenly she was grateful Revel had seen it first. Now at least she could make up a good cover story for what had happened…or at least attempt to.

"I think it might have been from the blast," Revel said stepping up beside her. "May I take a closer look?"

Elsa nodded and allowed the Captain to take her face in his hands and gently turn her towards the table lamp. She tried not to notice how warm his hands were against her cheeks or the faint smell of citrus, leather, and natural musk that slowly crept into her nose the closer he leaned in. She even tried to hide the deep blush rising into her neck and face, her skin flushing a furious red, but if the Captain noticed he said nothing, retaining a professional air as he examined her eye. Still, there were things the queen couldn't help but notice, like how his green eyes, sparkling like emeralds in the lamplight, had flakes of gold around the pupil or that there was the barest hint of stubble beginning to grow in along his jawline.

"It doesn't look like there's been any damage done by flying shrapnel or anything of the sort. I'm fairly certain you'd have felt it if there was."

"Maybe it came from the strain of keeping the arrow from breaking?" Elsa suggested fighting to keep her eyes focused on Revel's forehead or the space between his eyebrows.

"It's a definite possibility, and I'm again sorry. There really isn't anything I can do about burst veins in the eye."

Elsa sighed and looked down only to pull her head back up and gave Revel and quizzical look. "May I have my face back, Captain?"

It was Revel's turn to blush and immediately let the queen go. Elsa finally took the breath she'd been holding and exhaled out slowly through her nose, attempting to calm her hammering heart.

_What the hell is wrong with me,_ she thought staring at her reflection in the mirror as if the woman standing there wasn't her at all but a stranger. _I haven't gotten this flustered in a long time._

"Well this is just perfect. I'm going to have to create an excuse as to why half the veins in my eye have burst."

"You ran into something in the middle of the night," Revel said tapping his chin in thought as his mind worked to create possible lies for the queen.

"Doesn't explain why I wouldn't have a black eye along with it," Elsa said shaking her head.

"Rubbed it to hard?"

"And only half my eye reacted?"

"You sneezed too hard," Revel said with a shrug. Elsa glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and saw that he was smirking at her.

"You know, for lack of a better lie that just might have to do. Though I know Anna isn't going to buy it at all."

"It shouldn't take but a few days for your eye to clear. I'm sure the Princess has more important things to do aside from scrutinizing your face for abnormalities."

"Revel, you know full well my sister is a perceptive person when she wants to be. There'll be no hiding this from her, but a good cover story will definitely keep her from becoming suspicious." Elsa removed herself from in front of the mirror and made her way towards the door. "As for right now, I need to return to my chambers and get some much needed rest. Thank you for…for taking care of me tonight, and I apologize for being an inconvenience on your evening."

"You hardly inconvenienced me, Elsa," Revel said watching her tug open the door and step into the training chamber. By now the torches had burned low, but the room seemed to be back to normal save for a few stray pieces of ice which the queen quickly dispersed with a wave of her hand. She was just throwing her cloak over her shoulders when Revel finally scraped together his courage and cleared his throat nervously.

"I would like to walk you back to your chambers."

Elsa turned and gave him a ponderous look. "I'm not sure that's a wise decision. Should someone catch us together…"

"You and I walked the parapets together for two weeks straight at the end of summer, and my men said nothing. I want to make sure you haven't sustained any lasting damage from the blast."

"I'm sure I'm fine."

"Please, humor me," Revel said stepping closer. It wasn't necessarily a lie. He did fear for the queen's safety because of how much blood had been rolling from her ears less than two hours ago. If something were to go wrong he had a sinking feeling it would most likely happen when she was walking back to her quarters, and there was a chance the patrol guards wouldn't find her until the next shift change or until later that morning. No, the Captain wouldn't let anything like that happen while Elsa was under his care, but he also didn't want to leave her side for more…personal reasons. It was strange having these feelings fluttering around in his stomach and head, making him dizzy yet highly alert at the same frustrating time. Revel had never felt them so strongly before and selfishly didn't want the evening to end.

For a few moments the queen was silent, her face an expressionless mask. Most of the evening Elsa had felt a strange crackling energy sparking between them like static electricity jumping from one person to another, tides of emotion and heightened senses of awareness rising and falling like the sea, and the feelings had only grown as the evening progressed. At first she'd not been able to place what these strange new feelings forming between them were. Of course she and the Captain shared the professional relationship of student and instructor, but those high walls instilled on the first day had slowly crumbled as rigid formality gave way to casual friendship, which was now giving way to….what? Elsa could feel the word sitting on the tip of her tongue but couldn't grasp it. What was making her blush every time she got near Revel? What made her pulse pound in her head like a war drum? Why did she feel the urge to be coy and viciously sarcastic more so with the Captain than she was with any other castle employee?

_What is this feeling?_

_Love will thaw a frozen heart._ Olaf's words echoed in her head and Elsa felt her heart leap into her throat. It couldn't be that, could it?

_Impossible. Revel and I… no it's absurd. _Elsa shook her head, dismissing the thought entirely. _No, I'm mistaking cordial friendship for something else. He and I are friends, perhaps even close friends, but that's where it ends…that's where it _has_ to end. Doesn't it?_

"Elsa?" Revel said tilting his head in order to catch her attention. She'd gone quiet for quite some time, eyes distant with thought.

"Hm? Sorry, I guess I'm more tired than I thought." Taking a breath, she forced her body to relax, stilling her shaking hands as best she could.

_ Why am I shaking?_

"Yes, Captain, you may walk me into the palace, but only to the stairs of the residency wing. I can manage the short walk from there on my own."

"Top of the stairs," Revel said crossing his arms over his chest.

Elsa raised an eyebrow at his challenge, but the Captain didn't back down. "Fine, top of the stairs but no further. And we'll have to dodge your guards if we're to remain unseen."

"Don't worry about my guards. This time of night they are patrolling the guest half of the residency wing," Revel said opening the door and poking his head out just to be sure no one was around.

"After you, Majesty," he said with a wide smile, enjoying the scowl she shot him when he used her proper title.

"Thank you," she answered coolly, sweeping past him and raising her hood.

They made good time reaching the stairs to the residency wing, but that's where the fast clip of their walk ended. Elsa hadn't expected to be so sore and very nearly went to her knees after taking her first step up the stairs, her core and leg muscles screaming. Gripping the banister with knuckle white hands, she looked up at the three story climb and stifled a groan. This was going to hurt.

"Can you manage it, Majesty?" Revel whispered right behind her, his breath hot on the back of her neck even through the fabric of her cloak and raising a wave of gooseflesh all across her body.

"Yes, I can make it," Elsa hissed and climbed further, body hunched like an old crone under the weight of her aches and pains. Revel sighed and rolled his eyes, realizing this was a blatant show of royal pride. The queen was trying to prove a point and failing horribly, so before she could react, the Captain moved in beside her, looped an arm around her waist, pulled her left arm over his shoulder, and effectively lifted her off the ground as he stood to his full height. Elsa gave a squeak of surprise and began to struggle.

"What are you doing? Put me down!"

"If we continue at your pace the guards will return and wonder why a strange cloaked figure is climbing the stairs to the residency wing at such a late hour," he said as he began to climb the stairs at a much faster rate, clutching the queen tightly to his side. "They might even be inclined to ask said hunched figure why she's in the palace in the first place, right after landing a few crossbow quarrels in her back. And wouldn't that be a funny surprise for my men to discover that they've just shot their queen because her pride wouldn't allow her to receive help from a friend."

Elsa opened her mouth to retort but realized with a flash of heat that Revel was right. Her guards weren't especially jumpy men, but seeing a dark cloaked figure creeping up the stairs to where the royal family slept would raise all kinds of alarms. They most likely would shoot first and ask questions later, a trait she couldn't fault them for since it was their duty to protect the royal family. Sufficiently chastened, Elsa wisely remained silent until the Captain gently set her down at the top of the stairs.

"There, was that so hard?"

"Thank you," the young queen murmured, attempting to smooth out the fabric of her shirt and pants.

"Always a pleasure," Revel said swooping into a low bow and kissing the top of her hand. Elsa felt her face ignite with heat and was suddenly unimaginably grateful that the shadow of her still raised hood hid her flush.

"Good night, Captain," she said clearing her throat and stepping away.

"Good night, Majesty," Revel replied with a bright smile, his teeth and the sparkle of his green eyes flashing in the faint moonlight pouring in through the windows. He watched as she quickly walked towards a set of tall white double doors that stood like silent centennials at the end of the long hallway. The queen pushed one of the doors open with her shoulder and stepped inside, but Revel caught her backwards glance just before she slipped into her room and shut the door soundlessly. Again he didn't know if his face could contain his smile, or if his stomach could continue to house the raging battle armor butterflies rattling around inside, but at the moment he was walking on air and just couldn't bring himself to give a damn as he descended the stairs three at a time.

Elsa pressed her back against her door and let out a long breath, her body shaking like a tree struck by a sudden strong breeze and radiating so much heat she was beginning to sweat. She clutched her hands against her chest, the left cradling the right, and could feel the pounding of her heart through the layers of fabric. On her right hand the kiss Revel had left radiated warmth as if her skin were alive with tingling fire that raced up her arm and dispersed across her chest, surrounding her heart like a volcanic puddle. She didn't realize she was smiling until her cheeks began to ache, nor did she realize a short string of laughter had escaped her lips until her room echoed it back at her.

_Maybe,_ she thought shrugging out of her cloak and hanging it on the rack with quivering fingers, _there's something more to this feeling than professional friendship._


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Ok, so first of all, thank you my readers for being patient and understanding! I'm so sorry this chapter was late getting to you. Life sometimes gets in the way, but I've been fairly sick for the past few weeks and am just now on the mends. No excuse for not updating, but when someone who usually doesn't take medication is suddenly forced to they tend to get a bit muddle-headed. I intended this chapter to be much larger than this, but I could bear the thought of making you all wait another few weeks for me to finish writing. So to reward your patience and kind messages, I'm posting what I've gotten done and edited. Since this was yet another chapter I split in half, I'll be able to get the second half written much faster, god willing I don't get sick again! Thank you all again for being so understanding, and I hope you enjoy!

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Just as Elsa had predicted, it didn't take long for her sister to notice the abnormality of her right eye. The queen had just sat down for breakfast and was trying her best to appear as serine and comfortable as possible despite the fact that everything from the neck down ached like she'd been crushed under a heavy weight. Even breathing was a chore this morning, her sore ribs making their discomfort known each time her chest cavity expanded, but Elsa was anything if not a capable actress and played her royal role perfectly. That is until a still groggy Anna, who was sitting on her sister's right with Kristoff on the queen's left, glanced at the queen over the rim of her glass and spewed the contents of her mouth all over her husband.

"God above, Elsa, what happened to your eye?!" Then, to a mortified Kristoff, she said, "Sorry, that wasn't intentional."

"Yeah, I bet," he said with an irritated growl, wiping the juice from his eyes with his hands until Elsa offered him a napkin.

_Damn you Revel,_ Elsa grumbled silently.

"What do you mean, what's wrong?" the queen said giving her sister a quizzical look.

"I…your…turn and look at me full on. Yeah, half your eye is red. Did you get hit?"

"It was the most curious thing. I was walking down the hallway when a book flew out of the air and hit me in the face. Apparently we need to keep watch for books that just randomly fall from the ceiling," Elsa said attempting to hide her growing smile as she cut into her eggs.

"I told you those Bibles were dangerous, but you didn't listen," Kristoff said attempting to get juice out from under his eye as it became increasingly sticky as it dried.

"Bishop Arren will be so pleased to hear that I've been smacked in the head with the Holy Scripture." Elsa said, grin growing. Kristoff tried to hold back his laughter but couldn't keep it in. As loveable and kind as the Bishop was, Arren was a pious man who could quickly become preachy if given the chance to snare a listener. All three people at the table had been subjected to his ramblings, but apparently Elsa's quip was only humorous to two.

"I'm serious," Anna grumbled at the two of them, leaning over the table to get a better look and her sister's eye. "Did you get something in it?"

"No, Anna I just…sneezed too hard."

The princess gave her sister an unbelieving look and planted her elbows on either side of her plate. "You sneezed too hard. That's the story you're going with? Is that even possible?"

"Apparently so," Elsa said setting her silver utensils down on the rim of her plate and returning her sister's stare.

"Actually you can," Kristoff said venturing into the conversation with as much care as a man wading into a pond full of piranha. "I sneezed so hard once that I split the seams of my tunic up the sides."

"I attribute that to poor tailoring," Anna said looking across the table at her husband.

"Really? Ok fine, remember Bezum?"

Both sisters snorted with laughter at the same time in a most undignified way. They knew the exact troll Kristoff was talking about. Bezum was a kindhearted, soft spoken troll with a horrible allergy to cotton. His condition wasn't discovered until one of the royal visits after the Great Freeze. Little Bezum had sneezed so hard after hugging Elsa and Anna he'd effectively shed his rock-like skin of mushrooms, moss, and hair in an explosion of debris that left both girls covered in forest fibers and poor Bezum practically naked by clan standards. To this day he'd not fully regrown his mushrooms or moss, having to borrow from friends.

"Alright, maybe you can sneeze too hard, but still. That looks nasty."

"Thank you for not making me self-conscious about it, Anna. I really appreciate that," Elsa sighed taking a bite of egg.

"Sorry. Does it hurt?"

"No, I didn't even notice it until I looked in the mirror this morning. It's definitely going to make my meetings this afternoon interesting."

"Maybe we should get you a patch or something," Kristoff offered shoveling his food into his mouth in great heaving bites. Elsa sighed as she watched him. Despite her best efforts, she hadn't been able to break the mountain man of his poor table manners when in the privacy of their family group.

It was Anna's turn to snort with laughter. "Elsa the Ice Pirate Queen, that's got a nice ring to it."

"As does, 'We are gathered here today to lay to rest Princess Anna, the last remaining heir of Arendelle'."

Anna gasped in mock surprise and schooled her face into a shocked expression. "You wouldn't dare."

"After your baby is born you will no longer be the only heir," Elsa said with the sweetest smile she could muster, which to the princess was just a little eerier since one of the queen's eyes was bicolored at the moment.

"Well, now I'm sufficiently unnerved," Kristoff said leaning back in his chair.

"Oh stop," the queen said chuckling. "You know I'd never do anything to put your wife or your baby at risk."

"So then I _can_ get you that eye patch?"

"If you're that willing to go mysteriously missing, yes."

Anna stuck out her tongue and sat back in her chair temporarily defeated, picking at her food until her sister had finished. "So what's on tap for today, mountain man?"

"I need to check the southern harvest site before the snow gets to thick up there to walk through. I'm sure Sven would love the chance to pull his sled."

"Care for a driving partner?"

"I…um…" Kristoff looked to the queen expectantly, but Elsa only shrugged.

"She's your wife, Kristoff. Just know that if anything happens to her or the baby your life is pretty much forfeit."

"Elsa, be nice," Anna scolded.

"It's the truth. I honestly don't want you trekking up into the mountains while pregnant, but I know if I say no you'll just do it anyway. So I'm leaving this decision up to your husband."  
"Wonderful, no pressure," Kristoff sighed hanging his head as Anna turned expectant eyes on him. The princess waited as patiently as was possible for the energetic princess, bouncing lightly in her chair. She was always eager to hike into the mountains with her husband, enjoying the vistas and the chance to stretch her legs. Ever since becoming pregnant, Anna had to reduce her levels of adventuring for the baby's sake, spending an increasing amount of time hanging around the palace while Kristoff went about his daily duties. At first the break had been nice, but Anna was a woman who felt she had to constantly be on the move, and after the first few weeks she'd gone stir crazy. Now she practically jumped at any chance she got to leave the castle and get some much needed fresh air. It was the only part of pregnancy the princess truly disliked…aside from her infrequent morning sickness and never being able to get full.

"Alright, fine," Kristoff relented after a few silent moments. He just couldn't say no to his wife when she looked so excited. "I can get us close with Sven then we'll walk the rest of the way."

Anna whooped in triumph and jumped out of her chair. "I'll see if Gerda can pack us some food for lunch," she called over her shoulder as she dashed out of the dining room.

"Please keep an eye on her, Kristoff," Elsa said scooting her chair back and easing into a standing position.

"I always do," he said stepping out from behind his own chair and joining the queen as they made their way out of the dining room and into a connecting hallway.

"I know you do, I just worry about her. She's too active for her own good sometimes. I know she'd never do anything to hurt the baby, but…I don't know. Maybe I'm being to overprotective."

"You're her sister first, and her queen second. It's your job to worry about her. Hell, even I worry about Anna, but she knows her limitations."

Elsa nodded and took a deep breath, forgetting that she was supposed to breathe shallowly in order to keep the pain in check, and very nearly stumbled into Kristoff when she winced and hunched forward.

"Hey, are you alright?" Kristoff said taking her gently by the shoulders and easing her back upright.

"I'm fine," Elsa said with a quick smile. The mountain man gave her a look that pretty much told her he wasn't buying her brush off. "Honestly, I'm fine. I just…fell out of bed yesterday morning and bruised my ribs."

"That had to have been a nasty fall," Kristoff said still completely unconvinced.

"Onto the flat of my back," Elsa explained as she continued walking.

"Your luck doesn't seem to be all that good recently, Majesty. You bruise your ribs after falling out of bed; you pop the veins in your eye from sneezing to hard. I mean, this bad luck streak has really gone on for a while now, hasn't it? Sore legs, tender feet, hunched posture, small winces here and there, is your bed really that far off the ground that you keep falling out of it and hurting yourself?"

Kristoff looked back over his shoulder at the queen who had stopped walking a few steps behind. "What are you trying to get at, Kristoff?" she asked warily.

The mountain man retraced his steps and stopped just in front of his sister-in-law, keeping his voice low. "I watched the same things happen to Anna when she started sparing. It's not any of my business, I know, I'm just telling you what I've noticed."

"Has Anna noticed?" Elsa asked, heart hammering in her throat. She knew her question was as bad as an admission, but she had to know if Anna knew, all the while kicking herself mentally for not being careful enough.

"Anna's more preoccupied with planning for the baby, and driving me insane, than anything else. She's noticed a change in you, but not like I have. I saw what the training did to her, and the two of you are so much alike when you try and hide things. Oh don't get me wrong, you're much better at hiding your aches and pains. The only reason I noticed was because I had Anna as a comparison."

"Please, Kristoff don't tell—"

"I would never. Like I said, it's none of my business what you do in your free time, or who you do it with. You're the queen. You can pretty much do as you please."

"I wish that were entirely the case," Elsa sighed and continued walking. Remarkably she felt a little better knowing that someone else knew. Kristoff, though not exactly aristocratic, was as loyal and honest as a man could get, and Elsa knew her secret was safe with him so long as Anna didn't start prying.

_I'll have to take extra care when I'm around her if she's already starting to notice things,_ Elsa thought as the two made their way towards the kitchens where an excited Anna was driving Gerda up the wall with her lunch food order.

As anticipated, the weeks of November sped by at a blinding speed as the holiday season quickly descended upon Arendelle like a festive hurricane. Towns' folk began decorating the first day of December, hauling in pine trees by the dozen and hanging wreaths and garlands of holly and mistletoe like they were going out of style. The first week of December also brought with it the first official, natural snowfall; overnight Arendelle was transformed from simple fjord kingdom into a picturesque Christmas village. Snow dusted every inch of spare ground, cloaking the trees in blankets of silvery white that shimmered in the daylight and glowed a warm yellow at night as candles were lit in windows and fires were built in the square. For most of the citizens of Arendelle, Christmas was the most celebrated time of year, but for one person in particular, the holiday season brought more than just warmth and cheer. It brought hope, joy, and a chance to finally breathe.

Elsa grinned as she watched the steadily growing flurries fall from a slate gray sky from the edge of her balcony. A cold northern wind rolled past the castle, blowing loose strands of hair out of her face and bringing with it the scent of freshly cut pine and high mountain frost. The young queen inhaled slowly, breathing in the scents of winter and feeling her magic pulse and roll inside her like a playful kitten. It was only during the winter months that Elsa felt truly in control of her powers. The colder it got the stronger her will became and the more her ice bent to her commands. Reaching out, Elsa let her powers manifest in her palm as it saw fit, not caring what form it took so long as it left her body. Bursts and curls of frost and white-silver snow joined the flurries swirling around her, and she smiled until her cheeks hurt.

"It's nice to see you smiling like that again," Anna said coming to stand next to her sister. Unlike the queen, who was wearing a simple short sleeved purple dress with a blue cotton vest, the princess wore a warm burgundy wool cloak with its silver fur trimmed hood pulled over her head, matching mittens on each hand.

"I always feel better when it snows," Elsa said quietly, catching flakes in her hands and making them dance.

"Do the magic, do the magic," Anna giggled matching her sister's smile. Elsa's grin broadened and she spun her hands briefly, chambering her magic like she'd done a hundred times before. With a forceful push, she threw her cohesive ball of blue arctic wonder into the sky where it exploded into glittering blue and silver flakes in the form of her personal snowflake. Immediately, the natural snow reacted to the Snow Queen's call, coming down harder and quickly blanketing the castle and the rest of the kingdom in another soft layer of white.

Anna sighed happily and linked arms with her sister, laying her cheek against Elsa's shoulder. For a while the two just leaned against one another, content watching the snow fall.

"I love the summer, but there's something so…magical about Arendelle in the winter. It's like the kingdom has a soul all its own that changes each time the seasons change."

"That is a surprisingly profound statement," Elsa said squeezing her sister's hand.

"I have my moments— Oh!" Anna jumped and looked down at her slightly swollen stomach with a look of surprise. She put her hand against the left side and jumped again, this time laughing. "I…I think I felt a kick!"

Elsa's slight concern turned into warm relief as she watched her sister feel around on her stomach for her baby's kicks.

"Ha! He did it again! Come here and feel."

"He? So you know the gender already?" Elsa teased as she laid her cool hand atop her sister's warm stomach and stood still. Sure enough, she felt a slight bump as the baby shifted in Anna's womb and smiled brightly. There was a strange magic in feeling a child, not yet fully formed, shift in its mother's stomach. The queen had hazy memories of pressing her small hands against her mother's stomach and feeling little Anna summersaulting.

"Hello there, little one," Elsa cooed softly. She didn't know if the baby had heard her or not, but it gave another feeble kick before finally finding a comfortable position and quieting down.

"I just have this feeling it's going to be a boy. Kristoff says girl, but a mother just knows," Anna said gently stroking her stomach. "I think he likes you."

"How can you tell?"

"I don't know, just a feeling, I guess," Anna said shrugging.

"Well, I have a feeling I'll love him or her regardless of how they feel about me. Now come on, let's get you and the little tumbler inside where it's warm," the queen said leading her sister back inside and closing the balcony doors behind her.

The snow would continue to fall for another week before tapering off, but the magic of the season had already infected the kingdom down to its core. More elaborate decorations were hung in the frosty air, and the soft sounds of church hymns could be heard drifting from the chapel most mornings, intertwining with the peel of congregational bells that echoed across the fjord. And all the while the people of Arendelle eagerly awaited the annual Yule Ball when the castle and the grounds beyond would be open to the public for one night of celebration and merriment.

The winter season certainly made the queen feel more at ease with her powers, but her sessions with Revel weren't getting any easier. In fact, they were doing the exact opposite. Now that the Captain knew she could create what he affectionately came to call will-ice, he began teaching Elsa how to form her magic into physical weapons, and how use them in combat. His first few lessons covered basic weapons such as daggers, axes, and short swords. Elsa had to hold the real weapon in her left hand and create a carbon copy of it in the right. It wasn't a difficult task, since she could see and physically hold the original creating a copy was as simple as exhaling. Learning how to properly use them in a fight was an entirely different matter.

As hesitant as Revel was to teach the queen how to grapple, it was imperative he teach her the different techniques of knife fighting and basic dueling. Fencing Elsa picked up fairly quickly. It was a common sport among the royals, and one that the queen was familiar with from watching her father fence when she was younger. The techniques were easily grasped, so Revel spent little time on fencing and moved onto the more hands on knife fighting and defense techniques, though they had a rocky start at the beginning due to the queen's unforeseen nervousness around daggers.

It hadn't even crossed Revel's mind until he'd walked over to the weapons rack one cold, windy evening and withdrawn a fairly large dagger from its polished sheath. He'd been talking about the benefits of different blade lengths and the folding techniques used to hone the blade into a razors edge when he felt the temperature in the room take a massive dive. Startled, Revel spun around just in time to witness most, if not all, of the color drain from Elsa's face, her eyes widening in fear.

"Elsa, what's wrong?"

Realization hit him half a second later that she wasn't looking at him but rather at the blade he'd been unconsciously flipping end-over-end in his hand. Slowly her right hand slid across her stomach and stopped directly over the year old scar hidden under the folds of her clothing, her eyes trained on a distant memory only she could see. Revel saw this, understanding hitting him like a sobering slap, and carefully replaced the dagger back on the rack with the others, silently cursing himself for his stupidity. Of course the queen would be uneasy around daggers. It had only been a year since the assassination attempt, but she'd never shown signs of anxiety or the deep rooted fear victims of malicious attacks often lived with, until now.

"Elsa, its ok," Revel soothed and spread his hands to show he no longer carried a weapon. When she didn't stir from her trance, he took a tentative step towards her, then another, and another. Eventually he was standing directly in front of her, their bodies only a foot or so apart. This close and he could see the sweat beginning to form along her hairline and could feel the waves of cold rolling off the queen like an arctic breeze as she took breath after ragged breath. Unsure of exactly how to bring her back from the fear quickly swallowing her, Revel knelt and made sure their eyes were level.

"You're ok, Elsa, just breathe. The fear you're feeling is just an illusion; there's no danger in this room." Gently he put his hands on either side of her face, her skin shockingly cold, in an attempt to draw her focused attention away from whatever ghosts she was seeing and onto him. He let his natural warmth be an anchor for her, the feeling of his skin against hers drawing Elsa out of the cloying hands of fear. Slowly her vision returned to the present and locked onto Revel's green orbs.

"That's it, don't try and wrestle the fear into place, bend around it like you would a sandbag. It's just an illusion, keep telling yourself that. Nothing you're seeing or feeling is real."

After a few more silent moments, the queen broke free of her trance and blinked a few times, body shaking as the last dregs of adrenalin left her veins. The room swam back into focus and she became aware of the warmth of Revel's hands on either side of her face and the swelling sense of safety due to his closeness. For just a brief moment, she allowed herself to sink into the security, to lose herself in the warmth of another human body before both reason and reality snapped back all at once.

"I…I'm sorry…I don't know what just happened," she said taking a step back and rubbing at her eyes. Was she crying or was that sweat? The Captain stepped back as well, reluctantly letting his hands drop to his sides while trying to ignore the tingling in his palms and fingertips.

"I do," Revel sighed. "Have you ever heard of the Warrior's Terror?"

"In passing," Elsa said absentmindedly rubbing her left shoulder. "My father spoke of it once."

"Do you know what it is?"

"Not really, no."

"It happens more often than you'd think, especially during campaigns. Soldiers who have been exposed to live combat often can't take the stress of killing an enemy or seeing a friend or comrade die in front of them. During the heat of battle the mind can push aside these unpleasantries, but afterword, when there isn't anyone left to fight and you're alone with your thoughts, the images of what you've seen and done come rushing back. Oftentimes soldiers suffer from vivid nightmares or crippling anxiety when around something that reminds them of combat. In more severe cases, soldiers can hallucinate and relive traumatic events from their past."

"So what just happened to me…" Elsa trailed off looking down at her hands, blue and white sparks jumping from finger to finger.

"Is a symptom of the Warrior's Terror," Revel confirmed with a slow nod of the head.

"Wonderful," Elsa said scrubbing her face with her cold hands, "something more to add to my generous supply of unnatural happenings."

"There's nothing unnatural about it," Revel said with a soft smile. "You'd be surprised how many people suffer from it who aren't soldiers. Anyone who's been in a traumatic situation can have it. I would have actually been very surprised if you _didn't_ have the Terror after what happened to you a year ago. Coming that close to death…I can't imagine a worse trauma."

"I can," Elsa whispered and shivered, the image of her sister, complete incased in glittering blue ice, hand raised to ward off the blow that had meant to kill the queen, flashed through her mind. It had been her worst fear come true, and to this day it still dogged Elsa's every step like an unwanted shadow. Anna hadn't just come close to death, she had actually died, and it was by her sister's hands. Desperate to move the conversation along and leave the horrific images behind, Elsa took another long slow breath to calm her nerves and shook the last clinging bits of anxiety from her body.

"Anyway, please continue with what you were about to say before…that happened. Something about honing a blade?"

"I don't think it would be wise to continue tonight. After an episode it's best to let the mind rest a bit."

"Revel, please just humor me tonight. I…I need…" Elsa hesitated and couldn't understand why. What did she need, and why was it becoming harder and harder to speak candidly with the Captain? Determined to not look the fool, the queen swallowed her unease and plowed on. "I need your lessons tonight. Especially after what just happened and what you explained to me. This fear within me, it's something that can be exploited should someone learn of it. I know in order to be able to protect my family from whatever may come in the future, I can't be nervous around certain weapons. One can be preferred above another, but I don't have the luxury of fearing any of them. Please, you've taught me so much, Revel. Teach me how…how to conquer my fears."

"It's not anything I can teach, Elsa," Revel said stepping forward again and cupping the side of the queen's face, not knowing how his hand had moved on its own accord. For a brief terrifying moment he feared she would pull away from him, but she didn't move. Instead, the queen surprised him by closing her bright cerulean eyes and leaning into his palm fractionally, exhaling slowly out her nose. But the moment passed faster than the Captain would have liked and she pulled back a bit, looking up at him expectantly.

"I can show you the techniques I've learned and taught my men, talk you through the fear, but it's ultimately up to you to master what frightens you."

"I understand," Elsa said in a small voice. "Please continue with what you were going to show me this evening."

"As you wish," Revel said with a quick smile. "But you have to let me know if it's becoming too much."

Elsa nodded and the reluctant Captain picked up where he'd left off, unsure if it was a good idea to sweep what had just happened under the rug but seeing no other alternative. The queen was determined to keep going with her lessons despite his misgivings and the lingering unease that something wasn't quite right.

"I don't understand why I need to know the flexibility of a weapon if I have the capability of making it as hard as my will wills it," Elsa said a few days later holding a freshly formed ice dagger in her hand for Revel's inspection. It was a simple but effective weapon, the blade already razor sharp.

"It's the principal of the matter," he muttered, looking the weapon over with a critical eye. There didn't seem to be any flaw in the blade that he could see which didn't come as a surprise. Elsa's ice was always flawless, oftentimes resembling blown glass rather than frozen water. Taking the dagger from her and running his finger along the edge, Revel felt a gentle tug against his thumb as the blade slowly sliced through the layers of his skin. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that he could have shaved with this ice dagger, and it would probably shave off more hair than his straight razor. Flipping the dagger like a juggler, the Captain caught the weapon by its tip and sent it spinning down the training chamber. A dull thud a half second later let him know he'd hit the target, the will-ice dagger imbedded soundly in four inches of packed hay.

"It's unimportant," Elsa countered, watching her instructor throw her knife into the target with an almost flippant flick of the wrist. Unsurprisingly, Revel was an excellent marksman. "I could understand if I was learning how to smith a blade, but my ice is as strong as I want to make it, or as flexible. Hence why that dagger didn't shatter on impact."

"I…alright fine, you've got me there," Revel said with a sigh. "But when we get into range weapons you _will_ have to learn how they bend and stretch, especially if you wind up having to make a bow or crossbow. Understanding the mechanics is key, but for now you're right. There isn't any point in learning metallurgy when you can control your ice's density and flexibility."

Slowly, over a two week span the lessons advanced into projectiles just as Revel had promised, and it was here that the queen finally seemed to meet her match. She could conjure ice spikes at a reasonable distance, but anything farther than fifty feet was out of range. Or if she was able to raise the spikes out the ground, like a porcupine springing its quills, her aim and timing were off, so Revel erected the targets again and they began the frustratingly arduous task of figuring out how Elsa could project her magic farther with the same amount of lethality as she had when in close quarters combat.

Pushing her arm out to nearly full extension, Elsa released a blast of magic that formed into a squat spike half a second after leaving her hand. It was the same technique she'd used while fighting the Weselton brothers back in her ice palace three years ago, but rather than shooting her ice at the ground, which would raise a series of spikes, she channeled her magic into a cohesive, compact object. The projectile streaked down the chamber at a low arch and wound up skidding into the ground a full twenty feet from the target. She'd lost count of how many failed attempts she'd sent down the chamber, frustration ramping up every time she missed.

"You don't have enough power behind your push, that's why it's not reaching the targets," Revel said from off to the side, safely out of the range of fire. He massaged his temples with his thumb and middle finger, the headache he'd been fighting off most of the afternoon lingering behind his eyes.

"I can see that," Elsa grumbled, resetting herself for another attempt. She sank into her stance and let the bolt fly from her hand with a blast of arctic air behind it but was met with the same lackluster results.

"Damnit!"

"Getting angry isn't going to help."

"Please, for the love of God, stop talking. You're not helping by stating the obvious. I know this isn't working, but I can't figure out why! There should be enough magic behind my throw to send this damn spike sailing through the target and into the wall, but every time it leaves my hand it feel likes half my magic goes one way and the other half shoots out my palm," the queen snarled, hands clenched at her sides.

"Have you tried following the course of your magic to see where the secondary route goes?"

"Of course I have! But it happens too fast to catch, and I'm just…" Elsa ground her teeth with the effort of keeping her temper in check. She didn't have the luxury or losing control of herself with Revel in the same room.

"Should we stop for the night?"

"No."

The Captain raised his hands in mock surrender, and would have let Elsa return to her work had a thought not suddenly struck him.

"Have you ever thrown a shot put?"

The queen gave the Captain a look that spoke volumes about her growing frustration and exasperation. "When would I have ever thrown a shot put?"

"Alright, then let me rephrase. Have you ever _seen_ anyone throw a shot put?"

"My counter question still stands," Elsa said crossing her arms over her chest.

Revel sighed, seeing he wasn't getting anywhere. "Fine, then have you at least thrown something heavy at someone. A snowball maybe or a book?"

"Both, yes."

"Ok, well that's good to know at least."

"Why did you ask?"

"Because I was curious, and I could," Revel said with a slight tilt of the head and a quick grin, and it took all of Elsa's willpower not to haul off and smack him. Sometimes he could be so aggravating!

"Back to my original question. If you've never seen someone throw one at least let me show you what I'm talking about."

"Why does it matter? I can't see why knowing how to throw a shot put would help me get this spike into the target."

"You know very well there is a method to my madness," the Captain said arching an eyebrow.

"Fine," Elsa said icily, and motioned for him to come and stand next to her. Revel did just that, only instead of standing at her side he gently turned her until she was facing away. The queen felt a flush of heat explode across her body as Revel moved in close, his body heat like a furnace against her back, and suddenly her growing frustration dissolved into obscurity as a new, more primal emotion began to form in the back of her mind. It took biting her tongue to remain focused.

"Forgive the closeness. I can't exactly show you what I'm talking about without having you mimic me. Just, follow my body. First, spread your feet apart like you would in a striking stance."

Elsa obeyed and slipped into the familiar striking stance, left foot forward and right foot back at a slight angle.

"Good, now slightly lower your center of gravity. Wonderful, you still remember your stances."

"Any reason I would have forgotten them in five months?"

"Just making an observation. No need to get icy."

"Was that supposed to be a pun?" Elsa said trying to turn towards the Captain, but he refused to let her move.

"Eyes forward."

"Ass," she mumbled under her breath.

"Agreed," Revel said trying to fight back his growing smirk. It was getting easier and easier to ruffle the queen's feathers, and he was enjoying every moment of it. "Now, back on task. Shot put throwers use momentum to throw their lead balls down the field, but it's how they throw from the chest that gave me this idea. What I want you to do is press down with your left leg and cradle your magic in your right palm next to your chest. The tighter it is to your body the better. When you release, push forward with that same arm as if shoving someone."

While speaking, Revel had gone through the motions he'd been describing, pushing Elsa's hips forward until a large majority of her weight was on the ball of her left foot. He gently grabbed her right wrist, reaching across her back to reach it, and drew it back next to her chest to demonstrate chambering her arm. Slowly he extended her arm until her elbow was at a forty five degree angle.

"That's where you release your magic. Don't snap your elbow like you have been. I think it somehow depletes the release of your power."

Pulse roaring in her ears, Elsa tried to focus on what he was showing her, but every time his skin brushed hers or his breath tickled the back of her neck she had to force back a shiver. The goosebumps racing down her arms and legs were less obvious but no less felt as her scalp and shoulders began to tingle.

"Do you understand?" Revel said stepping away. Elsa nodded, not trusting her voice. "Good, now try to hit the target again."

Taking a steadying breath, Elsa pushed all other feelings and emotions from her mind as she sank into the cold embrace of her power. Opening her eyes, she focused on the target at the end of the chamber, the red dot marking the target center enveloping her vision. Just as Revel had said, she channeled her magic, only rather than pooling it directly into her palm she let it pool in two places, her palm and left foot. Sucking in through her nose like an archer about to release an arrow, Elsa leaned forward and pressed down hard with her foot before throwing out her chambered right arm, and her magic did two things simultaneously. First it exploded under her foot in a snowflake pattern before redirecting itself and leaping from her palm with a crackling hiss. Not expecting there to be such a kickback, the queen stumbled backwards but was caught by the Captain and pulled upright seconds before they both heard a bang from the other side of the chamber. Startled, the two stared in fixed wonder at the foot long spike embedded in the wall, destroyed wooden target lay in waste underneath it.

"Wow," he and Elsa both breathed in unison before they broke into fits of triumphant whooping, the queen throwing her arms around Revel's neck and the Captain swinging her around, arms wrapped around her slender waist.

"That was incredible! I didn't think your idea would work!"

"Truth be told, neither did I," Revel said grinning from ear to ear. He looked down at the queen in his arms and it felt like his heart was going to burst from his chest. Elsa grinned back at him, her face so close to his she could feel his warm breath on her flushed cheeks. A half second later it seemed both parties realized just how close they were to one another and disentangled with mutters of 'I'm sorry' rolling from both sets of lips.

Excited to see what she'd done and desperate to hide her radiating flush, Elsa ran down the chamber. Gleefully she examined the spike, marveling how deep she'd managed to get it into solid mortar stone. Remarkably there didn't seem to be any damage done to her ice, so she grabbed ahold and attempted to pull it free. It slid out of the brick on her third try just as Revel stepped beside her, and the two realized with another stroke of shock that the spike was much longer than a foot.

"That thing's almost three feet long," Revel breathed looking at the projectile in Elsa's hands. "You pretty much embedded a three foot javelin two feet into a solid brick wall. I must say, I'm highly impressed."

"I don't understand how that time was any different from the last," Elsa said dissipating the spike with a flick of the wrist.

"You didn't feel a difference?"

"No, it just…hmm, maybe I did feel something different. That time I felt more grounded, like I had more push behind me."

"When you pushed out, there was a snowflake that formed under your foot," Revel said pointing to the slowly melting frost snowflake marking where the queen had been standing.

"Maybe it gave me a foothold?"

"Maybe. Do you want to give it a try again? Maybe this time you could try not putting a conspicuous hole in my wall?"

Elsa snorted. "Not like you couldn't put a tapestry over it or something."

"Oh yes, wouldn't that look inconspicuous? A random, ornate tapestry hanging in a _training chamber_. No one would _ever_ ask questions; no one would wonder _why_."

"Who said it had to be ornate? I'm sure an old blanket would do," the queen said over her shoulder as she returned to her original position. Hands on her hips, she turned back towards Revel and cocked an eyebrow, a half smile pulling at her lips. "Shall we continue or do you want to reenact the story of William Tell?"

"By all means, Majesty. Let this poor servant of yours remove himself out of your way so you can continue," Revel said with as much sarcasm as he could muster, bowing low like a stage actor as he shuffled out of the way. Elsa laughed and sent ball of super cold air towards him with just a flick of her fingers. The Captain danced expertly out of the way, laughing and grinning as he did, and resumed his position slightly behind the queen as she readied herself again and chambered her magic in her palm and foot.

The lesson concluded an hour after Elsa had successfully landed her twenty seventh ice spike in the overstuffed target, hay and bits of burlap fibers protruding from gaps in the sack where her ice had torn through. After a bit of adjusting, she'd managed to reign in the force with which she sent her ice down the chamber so the spikes no longer embedded themselves in the wall. Much to his chagrin, Revel now had six holes he had to either fix or hide. Carefully, the queen threw on her cloak, favoring her right shoulder. She'd not anticipated the amount of kickback her power would produce when chambered as Revel had shown her, and the muscle was starting to make its discomfort known.

_Just another ache to add to the rest of them, _Elsa thought with a small smile, her good mood overriding any current unpleasantness. She felt she'd accomplished a lot this evening, not exactly mastering projectile ice but definitely getting a firmer grasp of what she needed to do to make it work. Her mood was so good, in fact, that when Revel approached to do his nightly goodbye ritual, bowing to the queen and holding the door open for her, she surprised him by pulling an envelope from an inner cloak pocket and handing it to him.

"What's this?" he asked taking the rich manila envelope and flipping it over to reveal the stylized snowflake of Arendelle's royal wax seal.

"I assume you have the capability to read, Captain. Open it and see," Elsa said with a broad smile.

Revel carefully pried off the wax seal and withdrew a perfectly folded piece of ornate paper. His eyes quickly skimmed the delicate scrawling handwriting that had undoubtedly come from the queen's own hand.

"This is a personal invitation to…the Yule Ball," Revel said looking over the top of the paper at Elsa, his eyebrows shooting up into his hairline. The annual Yule Ball was a prestigious affair, and only a lucky few were invited to share in the festivities with the Arendelle royal family. That wasn't to say the queen and her sister didn't make painful strides to ensure that the entire kingdom joined in on the holiday celebration, but the Yule Ball was held after the more common festivities had ended Christmas Eve and was invitation only. It was an invitation Captain Revel hadn't been expecting to receive from anyone, especially personally from the queen.

"Very perceptive, Revel. The details of the ball are listed further down."

"I…um…"

"Is something wrong?" Elsa asked cocking an eyebrow.

"No, it's just…are you sure you want me in attendance?"

"I wouldn't have just given you that invitation had I not," the queen said with a confused look. "If you would prefer not to come—"

"No!" Revel said a little louder than planned and swore inwardly. Clearing his throat he tried again. "I mean, no, I'd love to come. I just didn't expect a personal invitation. Usually I'm on duty that night, so it will be strange walking amongst the nobles."

"You did it for my sister's wedding."

"I did, didn't I?" Revel smiled and suddenly felt the all too familiar explosion of battle armor butterflies in his stomach. "Well then, I will gladly attend your ball, Majesty. And perhaps you will save at least one dance for your instructor?"

Elsa laughed and felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She'd been dreading giving Revel the invitation, and when he'd seemed confused and hesitant at first it took every ounce of will to keep from bolting out the door and hiding her embarrassment in the shadows.

"I look forward to seeing how you perform on the dance floor."

It was Revel's turn to laugh as he bowed and reached for the door handle. "You doubt my skill?"

"Why, not at all," Elsa said with mock indignation. "I just recall that you were dancing with a Duke's daughter the last time I saw you in the ballroom. If you dance with me, you'll be dancing with a queen."

"Does station have anything to do with skill or ability?"

"Oh of course not, but where a Duke's daughter has been taught the basics of most urban dance, a woman of my station has had access to a much broader spectrum. To put it simply, I don't think you'll be able to keep up, Captain."

"Is that a challenge?" Revel said with a broad grin.

Elsa shrugged but was unable to hide her own smile. "Take it as you will. You have two weeks to practice. Good night, Captain."

The queen woke with a start when something large and heavy landed across her legs, causing her bed to bounce fractionally. Sitting up with a gasp, she attempted to backpedal from whatever was weighing her feet down, mind still foggy with sleep. Bleary eyed, she blinked in the semi-darkness of her room, weak shafts of light coming in through the crack in the curtain covering her large triangular window. A hundred thoughts flashed through her mind, but her lips only managed to fumble around one as she looked down at her legs.

"What in God's name…Anna? What are you doing?"

"Good morning!" Anna said with a cheery smile that lit up her rosy face and practically made her bright blue eyes shine. "Wake up, wake up, wake up! It's time to get up!"

"If the sky's not awake then I'm not awake," Elsa slurred scrubbing her face with her hands. Her internal clock told her she had at least another hour of sleep before getting up.

"The sun's been up for _hours _now! Come on, we need to get ready!"

"Wait, what time is it?"

Anna squinted at the small clock on her sister's dresser. "Six ten in the morning."

The queen groaned and flopped back down into the blissful comfort of her feather pillows and threw an arm over her eyes, unbraided hair fanning out around her. Weren't the roles supposed to be reversed? Wasn't it usually her dragging Anna out of bed?

"Anna, dear, we have a full six hours before any of the guests start arriving."

"I know! But I want to get started decorating as soon as possible," Anna said pulling herself up into a sitting position and very nearly bouncing with excitement. Christmas Eve was her favorite holiday, save for Christmas Day. It was the only time of year she could run around the palace at full tilt hanging decorations and planning the celebration that would take place that afternoon with the town's people.

"Why don't you have Kristoff help you, or better yet, have Olaf decorate, and let your poor sister get a few more hours of sleep."

"Because it's not the same without you, and Olaf would come and wake you up himself if given the chance," Anna said flopping on her back next to her sister, hand on her swollen belly to help steady herself.

Elsa peeked out from under her arm at her sister, unable to keep a smile off her face. Anna was practically vibrating with eagerness and holiday cheer and it was apparently infectious. The princess saw her looking and snuggled closer.

"Please come and decorate with us. _Please?_" When the queen didn't budge, Anna resorted to more mischievous tactics and firmly poked Elsa in the side just below her ribcage. The queen gave a startled squeak and shifted fractionally. With a grin so wide her face was starting to ache, Anna poked her sister again, this time in a quick succession of three. Elsa all but fell out of bed, fighting back giggles as she rolled away.

"That's not fair, you know where I'm ticklish!"

"Which is why I'm doing it!" Anna cackled and lunged at her older sister, catching her with both hands and wriggling her fingers like she would if scratching Sven's muzzle. Elsa let out a sound somewhere between a scream and a laugh and tried to twist away, but the princess had her pinned and was a relentless foe.

"Alright, alright! Stop tickling me, and I'll get out of bed!"

"Ha!" Anna immediately relented and sat back with a satisfied smile. "Works every time."

"So does this," Elsa said planting her right hand atop Anna's head and letting her magic loose in a burst of frigid air. She'd done this enough times to know where to send her magic, and a split second later Anna's hair was completely frozen in place.

"Oh really? _Really?!_" Anna said grabbing hold of one of her braids only to find it as unyielding as stone. "It took me forever to get my hair braided this morning! Unthaw me!"

"No, I think you look better this way," Elsa said throwing her tangle of covers back and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She jumped away when Anna tried to grab at her and quickly headed for her large walk-in closet.

"It's going to take hours for this to unfreeze!"

"Not if you sit by the fire it won't," Elsa said from inside her closet.

"Please, Elsa!" Anna pleaded attempting to follow her sister only to be met with a locked door.

"You're the one who woke me up a full six hours before guests even start arriving."

"You would have been up in an hour anyway!" Anna said pounding on the thin wood with the flat of her palm. "You said there'd be no more locked doors between us!"

"Room doors, not dressing room doors. Can't a woman get a little privacy?"

Anna could hear the laughter in her sister's voice and huffed, tentatively touching the top of her head. Her hair was locked down under a glass smooth sheet of ice that resembled a helmet with two long braids hanging off the sides. A knock at the room door startled the princess, and she quickly walked over and pulled the heavy white door open. Kristoff stood in the hallway, yawning and rubbing his face, but his eyebrows shot into his hairline when he saw Anna. Wisely he attempted not to laugh, stifling a string of giggles bubbling into his throat.

"Not a word from you," Anna said darkly stepping out into the hallway.

"I told you it was a bad idea to wake her up early," the mountain man said with a grin. He poked the side of Anna's head and chuckled. "I looks like you're wearing a hair helmet."

"This isn't funny!"

"You're right; it's hysterical."

Anna pushed him and crossed her arms over her chest, frowning. "I just wanted to start decorating as soon as possible."

"Well, why don't we let her Majesty join us when she's ready? You and I can get started right after I eat something. You should eat too."

"After the bout of morning sickness I had just a little while ago, I'm not very hungry."

"At least try and eat something. The physician said you should eat at least twice a day if you can," Kristoff said putting his arm around is pregnant wife's shoulders and guiding her towards the kitchens, all the while trying not to laugh at her unmoving, icy blue hair.

As predicted, Elsa joined her sister and Kristoff a half hour later after having thrown on a comfortable purple dress and a black suede bodice with purple and silver embroidery. Her hair was done in her now customary Dutch braid slung over her left shoulder, glittering snowflakes carefully pinned in place along the length of the braid.

"Good morning," Elsa said taking her place at the head of the table in the dining room. Kristoff smiled and offered her a good morning as well, but Anna seemed more interested in her toast than the queen.

"Oh Anna, stop pouting," Elsa chuckled.

"My head's cold and there's ice water dripping down my back," the princess grumbled in response. Elsa rolled her eyes and dispersed the ice covering her sister's head with a flick of her wrist.

"There, is that better?"

"Head's still wet," Anna groused pursing her lips.

"Well, until I master the element of fire, I can't help you there. Maybe Kristoff can blow on it for you and dry you off."

That seemed to elicit a response from the princess who cracked a slight smile at her sister's suggestion. The three ate their small breakfasts quickly before setting to work decorating the castle like they'd done for the past three Christmases. It was a tradition the royal sisters' had grown up with. Every Christmas Eve, the girls would join their mother and father in drenching the castle in holiday décor ranging from wreaths to endless strands of garland to handmade ornaments and decorative candles. A pine tree was always brought in by the royal woodsmen and erected in the dining room next to the large fireplace. Elsa and Anna took turns placing ornaments all over the tree until it practically sagged under the weight, then it was off to bed so Saint Nicholas would come and leave them gifts. The tradition, however, had fallen into disuse after the late King and Queen's death, neither sister really feeling the pull of the holidays. After the Great Freeze, Anna had rekindled the tradition, and it had grown exponentially more intricate ever since.

It had ultimately been Anna's idea to include the town's people in their celebration too. The Christmas directly following the Great Freeze, the princess had approach her sister with the idea of opening up the castle courtyard and Great Hall to the public, especially Arendelle's children. She'd suggested finding the tallest, largest pine tree in the mountains surrounding the city and bringing it back to the castle for the town's children to come and decorate. Anna reasoned it was a way for the people of Arendelle to get to know their mysterious icy monarch while also getting Elsa used to public interaction. The queen was hesitant at first, but as always her sister was persuasive and Elsa agreed to open the gates and allow the public to enter.

That first Christmas with the children had been eye opening for the queen. She'd expected no one to show for the event, their fear keeping them as far from the Snow Queen as possible, but Elsa couldn't have been more wrong. At noon the gates opened and at least three hundred people made the short walk over the castle bridge to the courtyard and gathered there in an excited cluster. The queen could see from where she stood on the steps next to her sister, Kristoff, and a practically vibrating Olaf, that many of the children and their parents had brought their own ornaments. Those who didn't have anything still looked on excitedly as their queen said a few words, mostly thanking them for coming and wishing them a happy holiday, before stepping aside and opening the castle doors with the flick of her wrist. Unbeknownst to the public, Elsa had iced the hinges in order to control them, giving the already electric moment a boots of stage magic. With eager whoops and shouts, the children poured into the Great Hall and surrounded the twenty foot Christmas tree dusted in a light layer of frost and crowned with a massive ice snowflake at its peak.

And so the first tree decorating event began, Kristoff and Anna venturing up the wooden ladders secured to the tree to hang ornaments while Elsa and Olaf sat at the base helping the few children without ornaments make their own. Elsa could still remember quite vividly the first child she'd made an ice ornament for. She'd been a young girl about seven or eight who's family didn't have enough money to buy their own ornaments.

"I'm sorry, Majesty, I didn't bring anything with me," the little girl said sheepishly, staring at her feet while she spoke. "Can I still watch them decorate?"

Elsa had knelt in front of the child and lifted her head gently, a wide smile on her face. "Of course you can little one, but you should still have an ornament of your own. Tell me, what's your favorite animal?"

The little girl blushed furiously and kicked her feet. "I always liked bears because my Papa tells me stories about the Bear Queen in Ireland who talks to will-o-wisps."

"Well, a bear I can certainly do," Elsa said and held out her palm for the little girl to see. Swallowing the lump of unease growing in her throat, this was, after all, the first time she'd be using her magic out in the open since unthawing her kingdom, the young queen cupped her left hand over her right and let her magic pool between her palms, closing her eyes briefly to concentrate on what she wanted her ice to form into. Upon opening her eyes, Elsa slowly pulled her palms apart, revealing tiny blue and silver flakes and fractals swirling like a dervish. With the slightest push from her mind, the swirling ball of magic took form, quickly becoming an ornate bear standing on its hind legs. Blowing gently on the ice sculpture, the queen removed the last shreds of her magic before offering the little girl her ornament.

For half a heartbeat the little girl didn't move, just stared in wide eyed wonder at the ice sculpture. Then with shaking hands she reached out and gently picked up the bear, turning it over and over, inspecting every crevice and sculptural line. When she looked back at Elsa the queen was shocked to see tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong, little one?" Elsa asked in concern.

"No one's ever made me something so pretty," the little girl whispered before breaking free of her trance and throwing her arms around the queen's neck. Startled, Elsa drew back but the little girl clung on, tightening her grip. It was at that moment that the queen felt two things simultaneously. One was the complete shattering of her previously felt fear about how the town's folk would react to her magic, and two was an explosion of such profound warmth in her chest she felt tears well in her eyes as she hugged the little girl back.

"You're welcome, little one."

"My name's Sonja," the little girl said pulling away and wiping the tears from her eyes.

"You're welcome, Sonja. You can keep that ornament if you'd like. I can always make more."

"Can you make more for the rest of us?" Sonja said with a hopeful smile.

"Rest of you?" Elsa asked, brow creasing in confusion.

"There are a bunch of people in the back who don't have ornaments. Can you make them some too?"

The queen smiled and told Sonja to go and round up all the children who didn't have ornaments. She sent Olaf to help and quickly explained to Anna what was going on. Happy to help, and relieved to see her sister finally opening up, the princess joined Olaf and brought the sheepish children up so that Elsa could make them an ornament. Sonja at her side, the queen went from child to child and helped them create a unique piece of art to hang on the tree, and by the end of the afternoon the great pine shimmered with so many glass smooth ornaments it looked like it was nearly encased in ice.

That had been the first year. The tree decorating event had only grown as the years marched on. Now, not only did the children of Arendelle decorate the massive pine tree in the Great Hall, they also got to enjoy a small ball of their own, complete with food and games to entertain both children and adults. The celebration lasted from noon till four in the afternoon when the party moved exclusively to the courtyard so that the servant staff could give the castle a quick cleaning and resetting before the more prestigious event of the night, the Yule Ball, began at six.

This year's tree decorating event went off without a hitch with nearly four hundred people all gathering afterword in the ballroom for refreshments and merriment. The royal sisters made a couple circuits around the room, talking with various people and joining in a few games before departing and letting the festivities continue without them. At four, the ballroom and Great Hall were cleared, all four hundred people herded into the courtyard where more games were erected along with a scattering of mobile food stalls from the wharf and hot beverages provided by the castle staff. At the behest of Kai, the ballroom and all rooms on the lower level of the castle were cleaned and reset. At five forty five sharp the first carriage arrived, a man and woman dressed in courtly attire stepping primly from their vehicle and walking arm-in-arm into the castle Great Hall, signaling that the Yule Ball was now underway. By six there were at least a hundred guests gathered in the ballroom and more arriving every couple of minutes, invitations in hand. When the queen and her sister finally made their way into the ballroom, their arrival announced by Kai, the Yule Ball began in earnest, music filling the hall and drifting into the courtyard and the darkness beyond.

Revel fidgeted with his cufflink for the fourth time since arriving at the mouth of the hallway leading to the ballroom, knowing he was extraordinarily late. The ball had begun almost two and a half hours ago, and though fashionable tardiness was the norm amongst the noble class, Captain Revel usually prided himself on his punctuality…until this evening. He could make up the excuse that guard duties had prevented him from leaving early, that important papers needed signing, that there'd been a mix up in the rotation schedule that needed reconciling before two of his men came to blows, but all of that had only taken an hour to accomplish. The rest of his time Revel had spent pacing the length of his private chambers, nervous as a man on his wedding day, the ever constant rattle of his battle armor butterflies knocking around in his stomach.

As he approached the ballroom, Revel could hear the distant chatter of voices and the tinkling of glasses mingling with the gentle lilt of an orchestra coming from the warmly lit room. Nervously he unbuttoned and re-buttoned his cuffs, trying his best to get them as lined up as possible. Only slightly satisfied with his final adjustment, he moved to straightening his collar and tugging the nonexistent wrinkles from his dark gray jacket, unsure why he was fretting like a young lordling at his first dance.

_Because, idiot, you were a fool and asked the queen for a dance,_ he begrudgingly admitted to himself, absentmindedly running a hand through his freshly oiled hair. Like the last ball he'd attended, Revel decided to wear his hair down rather than slicked back, as was his habit when in his Captain's uniform. Dark curly locks fell to just below his chin, framing his strong jaw and neck in a curtain of chocolate brown. He'd allowed the course stubble along his chin and jaw grown in fractionally along with a slight dusting of brown hair creeping across his upper lip. His neck he'd shaved clean that evening, taking painstaking measures to make sure the straight razor did its job without leaving behind unwanted redness. Usually the Captain didn't put such effort or thought into his looks, but tonight was different. Tonight he'd be dancing with the queen, if she was still willing, and the thought of her rejection or acceptance was utterly terrifying. Again he swallowed the lump in his throat, fingers working under his stiff collar as he tried to breathe.

"Well, don't you look the sight of a fine pampered noble."

Revel jumped slightly and turned to find Sigmund standing in a shallow nook opposite him, ceremonial spear in hand and a gleaming rapier strapped to his left hip. The big guard took up most of the alcove, his broad shoulders nearly scraping the walls on either side of him.

"As shocking as it seems, I do have the ability to clean up rather nicely," the Captain said with an easy smile that didn't reach his eyes. He approached the big guard and they clasped forearms. "I didn't know you were on duty this evening."

"I took Sabastian's shift so he could be at home with his wife."

"I'll be sure to compensate you for your troubles," Revel said making a mental note to double Sigmund's pay for the evening and giving him an extra day off.

"What you gave us is compensation enough," Sigmund said with a broad smile that showed off the gap between his teeth. Revel looked at him curiously, not understanding what he was taking about, but, before he could ask, the big guard continued speaking.

"You look like a man about to ask a woman he fancies to dance."

"I look like a man preparing to weave his way through the precarious forest of nobles like I should know what the hell I'm doing," Revel said looking down the hallway and through the open double doors at the couples he could see spinning on the dance floor.

"Never was good at that game, but, then again, when you come from the common class fancy things like balls aren't really within your reach," Sigmund sniffed and leaned against his spear.

_Ah,_ Revel thought with a sigh, _I thought I sensed a bit of jealousy here._

It was no great secret that a man raised to the level of guard Captain was allowed to indulge in the finer aspects of court life. Though still counted as a commoner, Revel could attend the balls and parties thrown by the noble class so long as he was invited. It was a perk the Captain didn't often indulge in, preferring to live as humbly and unobtrusive as possible, but recently that had been difficult when the party invitations had come directly from the Queen and Princess.

"I don't honestly think anyone is," Revel sighed.

"Well regardless, if your eyes are set on a particular woman, you may want to remind yourself that you're a unic," the big guard said with a sly grin.

Revel scowled. He'd heard that tired old joke for years, and it was no easier to swallow now than it was back when his men started making cracks about his lack of sexual diversity. He knew it was all in good fun, men had always and would always compare stories of their sexual escapades like comparing badges of honor, but the Captain couldn't help but feel oddly alienated because of his choice to distance himself from common romance.

"Just because I'm not into chronic courting and the occasional whoring like the rest of my bachelor guards doesn't mean I don't have the capability of pleasing a woman."

"Hey, I didn't come up with the nickname," Sigmund chuckled, still leaning on his spear.

Deciding to end the conversation, Revel nodded and bid Sigmund a good evening before making his way down the long hallway, each step pulling at his legs as if he wore iron shackles around each ankle. Just before he entered the ballroom, a portly, redheaded man dressed in an impeccable navy blue suit with a purple sash stepped around the corner.

"Good evening, Kai," Revel said cheerily, hoping to God the manservant couldn't see the line of sweat starting to form along his hairline.

"Good evening, Captain Revel," Kai said with a shallow bow. "I trust you have your invitation?"

"Of course," Revel said producing his invitation with a flourish that would have made a court magician proud. Kai took the piece of ornate paper, scanned it briefly, then stepped aside to let him enter.

"Merry Christmas, Captain. Please, enjoy the ball."

Revel nodded appreciatively before stepping over the threshold with as much trepidation as a man preparing to jump off a cliff, and waded into the sea of at least three hundred people, searching for an island he didn't know even existed. He'd just waded through the first press of bodies, high noble lords entertaining groups of giggling high noble ladies, when a hand alighted gently on his shoulder. Heart in his throat, Revel turned to find a familiar yet unwanted face looking back at him, Duke Wellmore's daughter grinning toothily.

"Why, Captain Revel, I hadn't thought to see you tonight."

Revel immediately took the Lady's hand and ducked into an impeccable bow. "Good evening, Lady Genora, and merry Christmas. It's a pleasure to see you this evening."

Lady Genora giggled and pressed white gloved fingers against her small red lips, attempting to hide her mirth. "Merry Christmas to you too as well. Are you here for work or pleasure, Captain?"

"Thankfully, this evening, I am here for pleasure," Revel said trying to hide his irritation. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy speaking with the few noble acquaintances he'd made over the years, but Lady Genora had taken quite a liking to the Captain and sought him out at every event he attended, which were few and far between. She always wanted to dance and attempted on more than one occasion to regale him with stories of her father's seemingly endless wealth and political pull. Forever the gentleman, even though it galled him at times, Revel would accept her invitation to dance and listen to her boastings, determined not to insult the Lady but wishing all the while for a chance to escape.

"Then, if it's pleasure you are seeking, may I ask for your hand in this dance?" Lady Genora said with a wide smile.

Cursing inwardly, Revel schooled his face into a polite and pleasant mask as he nodded and took the Lady's hand, leading her into the middle of the dance floor. The orchestra struck up a lively tune, a three step most nobles knew by heart, and the Captain took the lead, one hand on Lady Genora's waist and the other lightly clasping her extended right hand. Just before he was about to swing the Duke's daughter into the first stages of the dance, Revel looked over his left shoulder and felt his heart skip a beat.

Elsa stood near a raised dais where her throne resided, speaking to her sister and a few unrecognizable noblemen. To say the queen was a breathtaking sight would have been a gross understatement. She wore a pale blue dress of thin glittering material that hugged every curve of her body with almost teasing snugness. A subtle slit up the right leg, stopping just above her knee, allowed the fabric to flow easily around her legs as she moved, and Revel realized with a thrill of excitement that Elsa had chosen this dress for the sole purpose of dance. Ornate crystal straps, most likely made from ice, held the dress firmly in place across her shoulders as the fabric dipped into a low neckline which showed off the queen's pale chest and ample bust. As if not to be outdone by her dress, her thick platinum hair had been brushed back but left unbraided, pinned in place with numerous glittering snowflake charms that caught the candle light and flashed like bottled fire.

As if Elsa possessed some supernatural ability to tell when someone was watching her, she turned and locked eyes with the Captain from half way across the room, and he felt his body explode into a thousand pins and needles. She still wore a smile from the conversation she was having with the noblemen around her, but her eyes were as sharp as blue tourmaline stones. Turning back to the dance at hand, Revel swallowed the quickly growing lump in his throat and swept Lady Genora into the dance, fully aware that the queen was following his movements like a hawk watching a mouse.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Ok my lovelies! As promised, chapter 10 didn't take near as long because it was partially finished when I posted chapter 9. Again, sorry for the wait on the last one due to poor health. I'm feeling much improved, and thank you all for your warm, well-wishing messages. They definitely helped! Please, after reading this chapter look for another authors note at the end. I've got a slightly strange request/idea for all my followers here on fanfiction and don't want to clog up the top half of this chapter with my yammering.

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As was customary, Elsa and Anna arrived at the Yule Ball promptly at six with Kristoff and Olaf in tow. Together the royal party had ascended the dais, the queen saying a few words of greeting before declaring the ball officially begun, and accepted generous applause from the throngs of noble guests spread throughout the ballroom. Immediately the orchestra struck up a lively tune and the dancing and revelry began in earnest, servants mingling through the crowd with silvers trays of sparkling gold champagne in molded ice flutes, courtesy of the queen, and small finger foods. No more than ten minutes into the party, Elsa had been approached by at least five noblemen asking for her hand in a dance. Partially obligated to oblige them, the queen elegantly swept into the center of the ballroom and danced with each man in turn, all the while keeping close watch on the door.

She didn't understand why she felt Revel's absence like a candelabra missing half its candles, but each moment that passed without the Captain dragged on for an eternity. After the first hour she'd given up watching the door for him, and after the second she'd given up the hope seeing him at the ball tonight, a prospect that both saddened and irritated her. He'd seemed so enthusiastic about attending a week ago, their sessions taking a hiatus until after the holidays ended for both their sakes, and she wondered what had changed. Disheartened, Elsa turned her attention away from her crestfallen feelings and onto the people who were actually in attendance. There were quite a few noblemen she intended on speaking to about different political matters and was grateful for the diversion. She hadn't even noticed the time slipping by as she continued to dance and carry on conversations until Anna waddled up to her, her stomach showing through her loose fitting burgundy dress with embellished silver embroidery, soft leather bodice, and grabbed ahold of her arm.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up," the princess panted with a smile. She'd just finished her third dance with Kristoff and had excused herself in order to catch her breath. Her husband had departed to retrieve refreshments for his wife, threading his way through the throngs while trying his hardest not to engage in conversation with anyone. Despite being elevated to the title of Barron, Kristoff had no grasp of anything pertaining to politics or the political game and hated when nosy noblemen and women pounced on him expecting the ice harvester to gossip about internal affairs he knew nothing about.

"Well, we've got at least another two hours before the party ends; do you want to head to bed already?" Elsa asked with a sideways smile. She knew full well that parties and balls were Anna's bread and butter, the princess being a natural social butterfly who thrived off a crowd.

"Hardly," Anna scoffed whipping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and grinned. "I just need to take a breather. It's hard dancing when you have half a person growing in your stomach."

"If you need to, please sit. I don't want you overexerting yourself tonight," Elsa said motioning towards the throne behind her.

"I'll be fine," the princess insisted, bumping shoulders with her older sister and managing to pull the first genuine smile from Elsa that night. "Are you alright? You seem…distracted."

"Hmm? Oh, just letting my mind wonder," the queen said offhandedly.

"You're looking for someone," Anna pressed, watching her sister's cerulean blue eyes dart quickly around the room, scanning faces at lightning speed.

"What makes you say that?" Elsa asked pulling her gaze away from the thirty or forty pairs of dancers gathered at the center of the ballroom.

"Because I know you too well."

"Perhaps I'm just enjoying—"

"Ah, Queen Elsa, it's a pleasure to see you this fine evening! Merry Christmas to you and your family!"

Elsa turned towards the familiar voice and smiled warmly at Duke Ferdinand and his two sons. The three men stopped in front the dais and, with a nod from the guards stationed discretely on either side of the raised wooden structure, approached the royal sisters, all smiles and warm embraces.

"Merry Christmas to you and your kin, Ferdinand; I had hoped to see you here this evening," Elsa said bowing ever so slightly towards the willowy man. The Duke folded himself into a perfect bow and took the queen's hand gently in his, kissing the top of it lightly. Elsa had to keep herself from rolling her eyes, a smile pulling at her lips.

"You know these courtly trappings of proper etiquette aren't necessary when I think of you as extended family."

"I do it to keep up appearances," Duke Ferdinand whispered out of the corner of his mouth, "and to teach my uncultured twin sons how to properly act in front of a queen."

Elsa giggled, bowing to a flushing William and Isaac, both of which had been within earshot of their fathers quip. "Merry Christmas to you two as well. I hope you are enjoying the party?"

"Yes, Majesty," both boys answered and bowed in perfect unison as had been their custom since they were little.

The Duke had been close friends with the late king and queen, oftentimes visiting over the summer before the castle was put into perpetual lockdown because of Elsa's uncontrollable powers. After the Great Freeze, however, the queen had reached out to her now closest trade partner, Weselton having been removed from the books and barred from any form of trade with Arendelle, for support. Duke Ferdinand had gladly stepped into the role of head trade partner, but his presence this evening had nothing to do with business or trade. Having practically grown up around the Duke, Elsa had wanted a familiar face at the party tonight.

"You look exceptionally lovely this evening, Majesty," Ferdinand said with a broad smile. "If I'm not being too bold, I do believe you've inherited your mother's beauty and your father's strong sense of business."

Elsa smiled and couldn't resist rolling her eyes, "You are a hopeless flatterer, sir."

"I find it keeps my wife on her toes when I flatter beautiful women!" he said with a wink. "And Princess Anna, look at you!" the Duke turned and bowed, kissing the top of her hand as well. "A vision of beauty wreathed in strawberry fire. You grow lovelier every time I see you."

"Thank you Ferdinand, though I dare say that my loveliness has diminished slightly over the past few months as this little one grows," Anna said grinning and placing a hand on her stomach.

"Nonsense! A woman only grows in beauty the more with child she becomes. Why, I remember when my Rebecca was carrying these two," the Duke said planting a hand on either of his sons' shoulders. "She practically glowed with maternal warmth that seemed to die the minute the boys rolled out of her. Haha!"

The royal sisters both fought back a string of giggles as they watched William and Isaac flush a deep scarlet. Parental embarrassment was a horrible thing to endure, but it was even worse when it was in the presence of a queen who was still eligible for courting.

"Duke Ferdinand, is that you?"

The Duke turned and gave a mighty laugh as Kristoff stepped next to the dais, a crystal glass of water in his right hand and a small plate of food in his left.

"Barron Kristoff, what a pleasure!"

"Likewise," the mountain man said handing his wife her glass of water which the princess took eagerly and drained in two gulps. "I didn't know you were coming tonight."

"Wouldn't miss the Arendelle Yule Ball even for the second coming of Christ, haha!"

"It's nice to see the two of you as well," Kristoff said nodding to the twins.

As the mountain man broke into conversation with William and Isaac, Elsa took the opportunity to scan the crowd one more time in a vain attempt to see if Revel had shown or not. Not seeing him amongst the nobles clustered around the door or on the dance floor, she turned her attention back on the conversation at hand. A few minutes later, Elsa felt something akin to a prickling on the back of her neck and turned to look out across the ballroom, heart flying into her throat as her eyes locked with Revel's. Her first instinct was to go and greet the Captain, and she'd almost taken her first step when she noticed he was in the company of Lady Genora, Duke Wellmore's youngest daughter. Immediately her happiness at seeing him was overshadowed by completely new, completely unforeseen emotions.

_So, this is the game you want to play, Captain,_ Elsa thought to herself as she watched him break eye contact and step into the first legs of his dance. _Well, two can certainly play at this game. Challenge accepted._

"William," Elsa said after the conversation had reached a stopping point, "would you care to dance?"

Before the flabbergasted young noble could react, his father pushed him forward with a grin so wide it was a wonder it stayed within the boundaries of his face.

"Of course he would!"

"Wonderful!" Elsa said before William could open his mouth to either protest or accept her offer, taking the young noble by the arm and leading him onto the dance floor. "I trust you know this dance?"

"Y-yes Majesty," William managed to stutter.

"Perfect. By your lead then."

William immediately took the queen by the waist and extended right hand and stepped into the three step waltz. It was a simple enough dance, the gentleman leading the lady in a series of three step movements done in three increments, their bodies poised in a loose yet refined posture. There were a few tight twirls to break the monotony of sidestepping in a triangular pattern and even a moment where the gentleman released the lady so that they could, for whatever reason, bow to one another before coming back together and continuing the waltz.

To her great surprise, William was actually a fine dancer with sure and graceful steps uncommon in most noblemen his age. Knowing that he was just freshly seventeen, Elsa had expected William to fumble and bumble about, tripping over his feet or nervously counting in time with the music to make sure he was on rhythm, but he did none of these things, instead he was flowing and becoming one with the music as much as the queen was. It was such a shock, Elsa momentarily forgot her true reason for dragging William onto the dance floor until a familiar face passed by, and she caught Revel watching her with a look that could only be described as utterly apologetic.

_Is he sorry for being nearly three hours late, or sorry I'm dancing with William?_ Elsa wondered as the two parties passed each other likes ships in the night. She quickly schooled her face into one of cool indifference and cocked an eyebrow at Revel over William's shoulder. She saw the Captain glance down at the woman in front of him before he looked back up with helpless shrug.

_Ah, dragged into a dance were you? Well, serves you right._

"You dance wonderfully, William," Elsa said catching the young noble off guard.

"T-thank you, Majesty. You're a good dancer as well. I mean…you're not just good, your great, wonderful…spectacular…"

Elsa laughed and smiled warmly at the young lordling. "You needn't be so nervous when speaking with a woman, William. Just act as naturally as you dance."

"Try telling that to my father," William mumbled, twirling Elsa once in time with the music. "He insists my brother and I aren't courting properly or trying hard enough. Every event we attend, he's always pushing noble Ladies on us or bartering with their parents like he's buying livestock." As if realizing what he'd just said and what it could imply about his forced dance with the Queen, William gave Elsa a panicked look. "Please don't misunderstand me though! I'm not saying it's not been a pleasure to dance with you. Quite the opposite…I just wish he'd let Isaac and I go at our own pace."

"I can sympathize with both parties," Elsa said as the song slowly came to a standstill and she and William sketched a shallow bow towards one another along with all the other dancers scattered across the dance floor. "Your father only wants the best for you, but I disagree at pressing anyone into falling in love. The choice should ultimately be yours and the young lady you decide to court. No parent should sell his children into marriage."

"Thank you, Majesty," William said with a bright smile. "It is nice to know someone at least partially agrees with me."

"Like I said, I can see through the eyes of both parties." Elsa smiled and took Williams offered arm as they exited the dance floor. Just before she re-entered her personal clique, the queen glanced over her shoulder and wasn't surprised to find Revel watching her leave. She offered him a sly smile, knowing full well she was being openly coy with her instructor, and turned her attention back to her group, content on making the Captain work for his dance this evening.

It would take another hour of near constant dancing with Lady Genora before Revel was able to disentangle himself from the clingy noble, and even that was like pulling free of brambles imbedded in skin.

"Do forgive me, Lady Genora, but there is a pressing matter I must attend to," the Captain said sketching a deep, apologetic bow.

"But I thought you said this ball was purely pleasure for you," Lady Genora said, a small bit of whine in her voice and wine on her breath.

"Oh, do believe me it is, but there is a man I was hoping to see this evening. He and I need to discuss the reasoning behind a few missing supplies of mine. If you will excuse me…"

"Of course, Captain. And when you've finished, I'd be happy to continue our conversation," Lady Genora said extending her hand. Revel took it and kissed it lightly before turning sharply and walking away as quickly as he could. Reaching the ring of onlookers at the edge of the dance floor, the Captain exhaled like a man who had been holding his breath for hours and ran a hand through his hair. God help him, if he had to dance with Genora one more time tonight he just might actually go through with his pervious contemplations about throwing himself off the balcony.

Slowly, Revel threaded his way across the ballroom until the press of bodies thinned and he entered a surprisingly open pocket just in front of the raised dais. Elsa was nowhere to be seen, but Anna and Kristoff were there speaking to a nobleman Revel finally recognized as Duke Ferdinand. Taking a breath, the Captain ventured forward, nodding at the two guards standing near the royal party who nodded back respectfully.

"Good evening Princess Anna, Barron Kristoff, and merry Christmas."

"Captain Revel!" Anna said with an infectiously bright smile and waddled towards him. Before he could protest, the princess had thrown her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug. "I didn't know you were attending this evening. What's the occasion?"

"Her Majesty invited me," Revel said and made sure to keep his comment as neutral as possible lest Anna grow suspicious as to why he'd received a personal invite from the queen. The princess didn't seem concerned or suspicious and pulled Revel forward until he was standing next to one of the Duke's twin sons.

"Duke Ferdinand, may I introduce you to Arendelle's finest guard Captain; Revel Handler."

The Duke, champagne flute in hand, laughed and extended a hand which Revel took and shook firmly. "Captain of the guard, eh? Well, it's good to meet the man responsible for keeping Arendelle's royal family safe!"

"A duty I will continue until the end of my days, or until I'm forced to retire," the Captain said with a smile.

"Forced retirement? Good man! It warms my heart to see that those younger in years than myself still have some semblance of responsibility left in them. I look forward to the day I can finally retire. A young man, I no longer am."

"Oh come now, Ferdinand," Anna chuckled, "older than dirt still qualifies you as young in the earth's eyes. Just remember that."

The Duke barked with laughter, and Revel decided in that moment that he liked this old nobleman. Any noble able to take a joke about their age was someone who didn't think themselves above their fellow man, a quality the Captain could certainly respect. The Duke was about to say more when Elsa swept back into the clique with a sweating and panting Kristoff in tow. She took one look at Revel, her face an unreadable mask, and nodded curtly at him.

_Seven levels of hell, she's mad at me,_ Revel thought and sighed inwardly.

"Good evening, Captain. So _nice_ of you to join us. Did you just get in?"

Revel couldn't help but read between the lines of the queen's question and winced. Apparently she'd noticed his tardiness and had taken offence.

"No, Majesty. I've been in attendance for about an hour now." The Captain knew there was no point in further explanations because they would come across as an attempt at an excuse which could very likely make the situation worse. He had a sinking feeling he was on thin ice with the queen as is, and didn't want to further anger her.

"Well, regardless," Elsa said with a slight nod as she accepted an ice flute of champagne from a passing servant, "it is _so ever nice_ to see you this evening." After taking a few sips of the golden bubbly liquid, she turned away from the conversation Anna and Isaac were having and turned her full attention onto Revel, her face still set in an impassive mask.

"I saw you dancing with Duke Wellmore's daughter earlier. How is she?" she asked conversationally, though Revel was able to see through her innocently curious façade.

"Lady Genora is…well, Majesty."

"That's good to hear. I know the poor dear doesn't have very many suitors or courtly friends to speak with, so it's nice to see she's taken a liking to my guard Captain."

Revel couldn't help but notice that Elsa stressed the word 'my' a little too heavily, and it was his turn to raise an eyebrow, a small smile play on his lips. He moved in closer so that his voice wouldn't carry and dropped his courtly etiquette.

"Jealousy isn't an emotion becoming of a queen, Majesty. Though I can't, for the life of me, understand why you're feeling it towards a woman so many stations beneath you. What do you have to fear from Lady Genora?"

Elsa shot the Captain a cutting look and felt a bit of flush unwillingly rise into her cheeks. Damn if he wasn't a perceptive bastard sometimes. She was quiet for a few moments, lips pursed in thought, before letting out a short sigh, her regal coolness slipping a bit.

"You're three hours late," she said lamely, unable to bring herself to openly admit that she had indeed been jealous of the dance Revel and Lady Genora had shared.

"And I would have apologized had you let me," Revel said flatly.

"I had thought…" Elsa trailed off and looked out at the dancing nobles, a small bit of embarrassment worming into her stomach. She knew she shouldn't have gotten angry with Revel, he did have other duties aside from attending a silly ball, but she'd felt his absence like a missing limb and had felt slapped in the face when she saw him dancing with another woman.

_Another woman?_ Elsa thought with a shock of unwanted surprise. _Revel isn't mine by any right. What is wrong with me? He can damn well dance with whomever he wants._

"You thought I'd forgotten your invitation to dance," Revel said with a smile.

"Yes," Elsa mumbled. With a sigh that pulled her rigid posture into a slight slouch, the queen folded her hands in front of her and looked up at Revel with a mixture of regret and embarrassment wreathed in her eyes. How much the fool did she look getting so easily jealous? She should know better!

"Forgive my earlier mood, Captain. I shouldn't have gotten angry."

"There's nothing to forgive," Revel said softly. "Though, if you want to make it up to me, you could accept my hand in the next dance. That is, so long as you're not torturing Kristoff any longer."

Elsa fought back a laugh and cast a glace over her shoulder at the mountain man. Kristoff's dancing had certainly improved over the past few months, but he was no were near the caliber of the queen or his wife. The big man was leaning gingerly against Anna in a vain attempt to relieve the pressure and pain in his aching feet.

"I believe I challenged you to keep up with me," Elsa said motioned for a nearby servant to come and take her champagne glass before turning towards the dance floor.

"Ah yes, I remember. Well then Majesty," Revel said extending his hand for her, unable to hide his wide smile, "shall I lead, or will you take the honor?"

"Oh by all means, Captain," Elsa said with a grin matching his, "take the lead, but don't be surprised when you find yourself following my steps by the end of the song."

"Challenge accepted," Revel replied as the two swept into the center of the dance floor. Before they could begin, however, Elsa excused herself momentarily and approached the orchestra. The maestro bowed deeply, and after a few quick words with the queen, nodded once and turned back to his work, muttering a few words to his instrumentalists.

"What was that about?" Revel asked quietly as the queen took her place in front of him and placed her hand atop his strong shoulder. The Captain had to fight back the urge to shiver at her touch, his heart starting to pound like a drum in his chest.

"A change of pace," Elsa smiled sweetly. "I trust you're familiar with the Five Step Waltz?"

Revel flashed a toothy grin. "One of my favorite dances, but not a common one. Few people know how to play the game."

"Well then, we shall see how good a player you are."

"It will be like dancing in my sleep."

"Show rather than tell, Captain."

The music began with a boisterous note from the orchestra, string instruments mixing with a few woodwinds and brass. It seemed the crowd around the queen and Revel knew the song, but Elsa paid them no mind, her eyes locked on the Captain's as he pushed off and began guiding her around the dance floor.

They began as most partners did, on equal ground with one another, steps in tune with the music. Revel tipped that precarious balance and took the lead, stepping ever so slightly to the left only to move forward a step, effectively pushing the queen back. This went on for a few moments, Revel guiding Elsa backwards and to the side as they twirled in time with the music. The key to this particular dance was to have the follower, the dancer being led by the lead partner, strike the ground five times in quick succession as the dance moved in a circular pattern across the dance floor. It was effectively a counting game put to music, and what made it so enjoyably frustrating was that it was up to the leader to decide what move to make. Unlike most waltzes', the Five Step had no routine, no choreography to follow aside from the five steps each participant had to complete. The addition of twirls, dips, and unjoining and the rejoining of hands was a clever way to try and throw your partner off count, and when someone miss stepped they relinquished their role as leader for the next turn.

Unsurprisingly, Revel was unable to get Elsa to misstep on the first go around, her feet moving seamlessly in time with the music. His second try yielded the same result, and the queen seemed to be gaining both confidence and speed as she continued to follow his lead, right hand held delicately in his while her left draped over his shoulder.

"Is this your idea of a challenge?" Elsa said with a catty grin.

"I had thought I would take it slow for your benefit. You _have_ been dancing all evening where as I've only been at it for an hour."

"Oh, so you think my endurance is lacking?" the queen said, the air around her thick with sarcasm. "Well then, I guess I should demonstrate just how strong my endurance has become since beginning classes with you."

Revel felt the shift in power like he was riding a horse bareback and the animal suddenly surged to life under him. Before he could blink twice, the roles had been reversed and he was now the follower to Elsa's leader, backing away as the queen advanced. Mind spinning to catch up with his shocked body, he missed his first step and nearly swore aloud. Elsa grinned and continued to press her advantage, but the Captain quickly recovered and fell into step with her rhythm.

"You definitely have the poise and grace for this game, Majesty," Revel said, a little bit of color rising into his cheeks with exertion as he fought to count, keep an ear on the music, and banter with the Queen at the same time.

"I would certainly hope so," Elsa smiled sweetly and disconnected herself from Revel, opening a small gap about three feet wide between them. Like a cat on the prowl, the queen attempted to circle the Captain, but Revel was wise to her movement and circled with her, making sure his shoulder was parallel to hers. When they rejoined it was his right shoulder against her left, their arms intertwined, palms together, fingers laced.

The two stared at one another like duelers locked in mortal combat, and the spark that suddenly leapt between them would have been enough to illuminate the whole room had it suddenly been plunged into darkness. The hairs on the back of Revel's neck stood on end and his scalp tingled at the same moment goosebumps exploded across Elsa's entire body, ringing a shiver from her as they went. She felt the telltale coolness of her magic pooling in the palm pressed against Revel's, but if the Captain felt it too he didn't seem to mind. Suddenly the room and their fellow dancers fell away until it was only the Captain and the Queen at its center.

Heart beating so forcefully he feared it would plow through his rib cage, Revel stepped back, extending their currently intertwined arms. With a forceful snap, he pulled Elsa towards him and sent her into a twirl. Once, twice, three times she rotated before he caught her, both dancers returning to their previous center, right hands extended, hand on shoulder and waist. Revel felt a breath of arctic air wash across his face, wafer thin ice cracking underfoot before disappearing, and couldn't help but smile. It was the queen's turn to be surprised, and she miss stepped almost immediately, her equilibrium momentarily off balance.

"That was…unexpected," Elsa said a little breathlessly, a rosy color rising into her cheeks. She hardly heard the music anymore, moving purely on instinct.

"The ice or the spin?" Revel grinned devilishly.

"Both."

"Well, you should learn to expect the unexpected from me, Majesty."

"As you should for me as well."

Elsa didn't give the Captain time to prepare a response. She was in the lead almost immediately, forcing Revel to follow her steps or risk a misstep. The speed and precision of her movements, the way her body flowed into each new position, instantly captivated the Captain. She was electricity made flesh in his hands, her crackling energy flowing through his veins and quickening his step at the same moment it quickened his heartbeat. Around they went in a blur of motion, elbows and feet moving at an almost supernatural speed, heedless of the dancers around them, or the ball, or the world. Elsa matched Revel stroke for stroke, giving ground only to take it back from him.

As they danced they grew closer, bodies gravitating towards one another like the pull of a sun on a planet. Again Revel twirled the queen, her dress spinning and snapping around her, heeled shoes scraping softly against the marble floor. The sudden halt of her spin as she reconnected her grip on the Captain pulled her loose hair over one shoulder, thick platinum locks cascading down the front of one half of her dress, leaving the opposite half shockingly bare.

Again they separated, only to come back together like waves crashing against a coastal wall, noses very nearly touching, bodies only inches apart. This close and the Captain could see every facet of the queen's cerulean blue eyes, how the color shifted around her iris in varying degrees of blue and light blue. This close and he could nearly count all the freckles dusted across the bridge of her nose. Breathing deep, Revel could smell the rich scent of high mountain frost rolling off the queen, her breath enticingly cool on his sweat prickled neck.

Elsa allowed the Captain to move her backwards, feet striking her needed five steps in quick succession, but she hardly felt herself move, hardly felt herself breathe. She'd never had a dance partner like this before, someone actually able to keep up with her, to challenge her every step and push her beyond her limits. It was both thrilling and terrifying. Revel was power and grace, gentility and passion rolled into a seemingly ordinary, unobtrusive package. He was the epitome of an enigma, and the mystery swirling around him like an aura only deepened the queen's need to know him on a deeper level.

As the song came to its crescendo, the music building like a storm about to break, the Captain spun the queen in another rotation of three, but, the moment he caught her, immediately rolled into a dip so low Elsa's head very nearly touched the ground. It only took half a heartbeat, but the look of shocked surprise and the feeling of her left hand clench the fabric of his jacket while the right tighten around his hand was well worth it. Revel snapped the two of them back to a standing position like a bamboo rod springing upright, faces barely inches apart, rapid breaths intermingling in a warm haze around their heads. The previously felt spark chose that moment to return with a vengeance, the nervous electric energy arching between the two as they stared at one another, hearts pounding like twin war drums in their chests.

Neither realized the music had stopped until a burst of applause shattered the rapped silence like a brick through a window, shocking them both back into reality. Startled, Elsa and Revel took a step back and looked around as if realizing for the first time they were in the middle of a hall surrounded by applauding onlookers. Unsure of exactly what to do, the Queen and the Captain bowed to one another, faces radiating heat while their smiles grew by the second. Taking the Captain's offered arm, Elsa allowed herself to be lead back to the dais where a completely awestruck Anna and Kristoff waited, mouths hanging open.

"Where…where'd you learn to dance like _that_?!" Anna stammered as her sister came to stand next to her, the queen smoothing out the fabric of her dress and tucking a few wayward strands of hair back behind her ears. The princess knew Elsa could dance, but she'd _never_ seen her older sister pull moves like she'd done moments ago. Just the complexity alone made Anna's head spin. And the way she'd moved to seamlessly with the Captain…

Anna blinked, realizing something for the first time. It wasn't that she'd never seen her sister dance like that before, Elsa was as talented at dance as she was with her ice magic; the princess had never seen her dance so fiercely or freely. There had been no restraint between Elsa and the Captain, no nervous fumblings, not that Elsa was prone to any, no formal rigidity. Their movements had been so fluid, so tightly synchronized it was almost like they'd planned the entire thing, but somehow Anna knew better. So a niggling curiosity began to form in the back of the princess's mind as she watched her sister readjust herself and slip back into the role of the ever poised, ever proper queen. She couldn't put her finger on what was going on, but she knew she was missing something happening just under her nose.

"From the same instructor who taught you," the queen said with a smile and graciously accepted a glass of water offered by a still stunned Kristoff. She hadn't noticed until now that her hands were shaking quite badly and the excuse to hold something tightly against her chest would help hide it.

"Wait…Are you sure?"

"Undoubtedly. I remember you were more interested in horseback riding than you were dance, at the time," Elsa said and took a sip of water. She noticed Anna was giving her the look she often wore when trying to puzzle something out and frowned.

"Something wrong?" the queen asked over the rim of her glass.

"No…just trying to put my finger on something I'm missing," Anna said continuing to stare at her sister.

Growing uncomfortable under her sister's scrutiny, Elsa turned her attention away from Anna and nodded at Revel, "Captain, I don't believe I've had so much fun dancing in a long time. Thank you for indulging me. You are a marvelous dancer."

Revel sketched a tight bow, unable to understand why he felt he could run the full length of the parapet wall at full tilt and make it back with energy to spare. He was practically vibrating and grabbed the first champagne glass that passed by, desperate for something to take the edge off.

"The pleasure was mine, Majesty. It's been years since I've been able to dust off those old steps and actually put them to use," Revel said taking a long pull from the champagne glass. The alcohol helped marginally, and by his third glass he was beginning to mellow a bit, his hammering pulse slowing to a rhythmic beat. Revel remained with the royal party for another half hour, chatting with Anna and joking with Kristoff, before feeling the effects of his long day and lack of adrenalin begin to take effect. Gently he touched the queen's arm to get her attention and sketched another perfect bow.

"Majesty, I believe I will turn in for the evening. Thank you for the opportunity to attend your ball and for the lovely dance you and I shared."

"Likewise, Captain," Elsa said stepping away so that the two of them could speak more privately. "So, off to discover what gifts were left for you this merry Christmas Eve?"

"Gifts? I thought only good little boys and girls received gifts," Revel replied with a broad smile.

"A lump of coal for you then, though I'm not at all surprised," Elsa sniffed with mock uninterest. Then another thought touched her mind and he stifled a giggle. "Or a beating in a burlap sack with a willow switch, if you follow Kristoff's beliefs."

"I…certainly would take the lump of coal over a willow switch beating," Revel said making a slightly confused, slightly alarmed face. He was rewarded with a peal of laughter from the queen that stretched the grin on his face to the breaking point.

"Good night, Majesty, and I hope you will not find a lump of coal waiting for you," the Captain said bowing for the last time, and gently kissing the top of Elsa's hand. He never let his eyes leave hers even as he bowed and watched a hue of red form just over the bridge of her nose.

"Good night, Captain, and merry Christmas. I look forward to hearing about your lumps of coal."

"I'll be sure to tell you about them in great detail."

"Marvelous."

And with that, Revel took his leave, feeling like a man walking amongst the clouds.

Stepping into his personal chambers was like stepping into a little piece of heaven, and Revel sighed with happy relief as he slipped out of his jacket and hung it haphazardly on a wooden coatrack just behind the heavy door. Bolting the door shut behind him, more out of habit than security, the Captain glanced around his dark quarters, eyes quickly adjusting to the low light. Moving towards the feeble glow of hearth coals, he tossed a few logs onto the low red embers. December nights on the fjord could be brutally cold, so it was best to stoke the fire now rather than in the middle of the night. Immediately, the logs caught fire and his room was bathed in warm, flickering orange light that cast moving shadows across his walls.

Releasing another contented sigh, Revel leaned against the table in front of the hearth and kicked off his shoes and at the same time unbuttoned his undershirt. The heat from the fire began warming his cold hands, further relaxing him. Energy for the most part spent, and head still in the clouds, the Captain turned away from the fire, not bothering to undress any further, and flopped onto his bed with a grateful moan that died half way out his mouth. His bed….it didn't feel…right. Sitting up, Revel noticed with puzzling shock that he didn't feel the customary lumps and bumps under his palm. Quite the opposite, the mattress under him was uncharacteristically plush with just a hint of firmness.

"I didn't have that much to drink…" Revel said pushing himself off the bed and stared at the mattress as if anticipating it to suddenly sprout wings or do a flip. Gingerly he reached down and pressed on the surface again just to be sure he'd actually felt what he'd felt. Sure enough, it was the same luxurious softness.

"This…isn't my bed. What the hell…?" He was about back away when he noticed a lit oil lamp sitting on the nightstand next to his imposter bed, a manila envelope leaning against the glass hood. Carefully, the Captain pulled the letter free and felt his eyebrows shoot into his hairline as he began reading. Suddenly, Sigmund's earlier comment made sense.

_Captain Revel Handler:_

_ I would first like to extend my unending gratitude towards you and your men for the years of protection and safety you've brought to my kingdom. Yours is a career of selfless sacrifice and unyielding courage and loyalty that I do not believe my subjects truly appreciate, but your service has not gone unnoticed. _

_ Enclosed in this letter is a receipt for: two hundred and thirty six new cot mattresses, two hundred and thirty six cotton blankets and wool blankets (four hundred and seventy two blankets in total), two hundred and thirty six duck feather pillows, one master goose-down mattress with matching pillows, complete re-restocking of guard food rations, and one hundred and twenty new uniforms. Please sign the receipt and give it to Kai to be placed in the books. Also know that none of the items listed above were purchased using money from your Guard Credit._

_ Please accept these things as a token of my appreciation for Arendelle's royal guard. Merry Christmas, Captain._

_ Her Majesty, Queen Elsa._

There was a secondary letter enfolded in the first, and Revel unfolded with shaking hands and read it aloud.

"Captain, as a thank you for all that you've taught me over the course of our sessions together, I took the liberty of replacing your old mattress with a more updated version. I hope you won't mind. Also, be sure to take a close look at your table as I believe there is something waiting for you there as well. Merry Christmas, Revel, and I look forward to the return of our sessions together after the first of the New Year. Until then, take care."

Dumbfounded, and just a little giddy, Revel glanced over the top of the letter at his table and saw a tall, dark bottle sitting there amongst a scattering of unimportant papers that he hadn't noticed until now. Slowly, he walked over and stared at the bottle, the glass winking greenish black in the firelight, and felt his mouth fall open in shock. He knew what it was before reading the label and felt an explosion of warmth spread throughout his body as if enveloped in a massive hug. On his table sat one of the rarest bottles of Metaxa brandy known to be in circulation. If the dark green glass hadn't been his first indication, the gold filigree label and purple wax coating over the cork would have given it away. With shaking hands he lifted the precious liquor into the firelight, unable to pull his mind away from the fact that one glass of what he held sold for as much as me made in a month. When he shifted the bottle to get a better look at the label and wax seal, a large snowflake the size of his palm, tied around the neck of the bottle on a hair thin silvery thread, swung into view and caught Revel by surprise.

Gently he removed the snowflake and set the bottle aside, turning the remarkable piece of craftsmanship in his fingers. He realized, after a silent moment, that he was holding an actual supersized snowflake in his hands. It was made from the queen's will-ice, but didn't look anything like her personal snowflake that had become Arendelle's crest. This was a custom piece of artwork, each facet and spine, each hexagonal edge and fractal curve having been artfully crafted with both precision and care. Holding the ornament aloft, Revel tapped one delicate edge and watched the snowflake spin in the firelight, winking and flashing like a diamond as it rotated. A warm smile quickly overtook Revel's face as he watched the ornament spin, and somehow he knew there wasn't another snowflake like his anywhere in the world. This was the most personal gift he'd received in years, and he'd never appreciated something so much before in his life. Suddenly, he didn't feel as foolish as he had earlier that evening. It was now apparent he wasn't the only one with gift giving on the mind, and the thought of what he'd lift the queen made the corners of his mouth curl.

Eagerly, the Captain looked around his quarters for somewhere to display his snowflake and decided the best place was hung in his window. That way the light could catch it and make the fractals and facets glitter. It was also directly in his line of sight while lying in bed. With deft fingers he tied the silver thread, also will-ice, to the locking mechanism of his window and stood watching the snowflake twinkle at him before returning to his new bed and easing onto the mattress. Carefully, as if expecting something unforeseen to jump out at him, Revel reclined back into his new pillows and moaned with relaxed contentment.

_Oh yes_, _she does have a point, _Revel thought as he pulled his familiar comforter over his torso and began to drift to sleep. _Goose-down really does beat packed sheep's wool and stray fabric any day. Merry Christmas, Elsa._

Not nearly tired enough to retire to her room, Elsa slowly climbed the residency wing stares and headed towards her study at a leisurely pace, humming a few notes from the last song the orchestra had played before the ball officially ended at just past ten. It had been a wonderful evening and better than she had expected…_much_ better than she had expected. Despite her seemingly calm demeanor, the queen still wrestled with small episodes of anxiety whenever she found herself in large crowds. Her once debilitating fear had certainly lessened over the years, thanks primarily to Anna's patient yet forceful pushing, but she still felt the need for a healthy dose of private time after a party or a large meeting with dignitaries.

Stepping into her study and closing the door behind her was like slowly lowering herself into a hot bath, and she relaxed immediately, slumping against the door and exhaling slowly. Blissful silence engulfed her, the only noise loud enough to reach her keen ears was the soft crackle and hiss of the fireplace. Gerda had made sure to stoke the fire, knowing that the queen would retreat to her favorite haunt directly after the party. The faint scent vanilla and sugar caught her attention, and Elsa turned towards her desk. A small silver tray with an ornate white tea pot, a single white and purple tea cup, and a stack of what smelled like freshly baked sugar cookies waited for her. She grinned happily at the gift.

_God bless you, Gerda. I don't know what I'd do without you._

Taking a moment to step out of her shoes, Elsa wiggled her sore toes, working them into the plush carpet and sighing. There was just something so wonderful about bare feet on carpet after a long night of dancing. Smoothly she slid into her high back leather chair behind her desk and carefully stacked and set aside the smattering of unimportant papers scattered there. A large brown package was also nestled in with the papers, but Elsa ignored it for the moment, pouring a steaming cup of peppermint tea instead.

_Merry Christmas, _she thought leaning back into her chair and sipping her tea contentedly while munching on a still warm cookie. After a moment of quiet relaxation, the queen leaned forward and began sifting through her pile of papers, determined to get a head start on clearing her cluttered desk before the beginning of the New Year. She knew she'd promised Anna she'd take a break for the holidays, but a queen's work was never done, especially when you ran a kingdom as large and prosperous as Arendelle had become. It was boring work, tearing open letters and skimming them before determining whether or not they needed a rush reply or if her answer could wait for a bit, so in order to pass the time, the queen turned to an old, familiar habit.

Barely wiggling her fingers, Elsa released a puff of arctic mist that quickly spread across her desk and accumulated into four glittering blue dervishes. After a moment the small cyclones formed into cohesive shapes that instantly became recognizable as tiny ice sculptures of Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf. The little ice people, no more than eight inches tall, came to life with just a thought from the queen, dusting the last bits of snow and ice from their clothing and looking around. Little Ice Anna perked up immediately and waved at her sister before striding away to explore Elsa's cluttered desk with Kristoff in tow. Ice Olaf and Sven amused themselves by beginning a game a tag.

The queen discovered early on that she had the ability to create animated ice, and it had been this revelation that had saved her sanity during her thirteen years of isolation from her family. Dolls were one thing. Young Elsa had loved to play with them, but they couldn't ever replace her sister's infectious smile, or her mother's understanding expressions, or her father's looks of approval. Dolls were just cloth and cotton come to life through a child's imagination, but her ice was different. Elsa learned how to craft small figures with startling likeness to their human counterpart and imbue them with the ability of motion and expression. She'd never figured out how to make them speak, Olaf and Marshmallow were still a mystery to the queen, but she could make them move and dance and play with a small push from her mind. It was these ice friends who kept her company through her long, lonely years, and the queen hadn't exactly dropped the habit of conjuring them when in the privacy of her room or study.

She watched idly as Little Ice Anna climbed a sizable stack of papers while Kristoff searched for her. Just as he neared the stack Anna pounced on him, the two of them tumbled to the ground in a tangle of flailing limbs. Sven decided to forgo his game of tag and join the pile, Olaf running gleefully beside him. For a few moments the four of them wrestled about until Kristoff pulled his little wife free and dusted her off. Ice Anna shoved him playfully, but he caught her hand when she began to move away and brought her close to him, swaying gently from side to side, mimicking a common couple's dance. Anna laughed happily and stepped into rhythm with him, the two swirling across the queen's desk, leaving behind a trail of glittering ice in their wake. After a few turns, Ice Anna turned to her flesh and blood sister with an expectant look, and the queen nearly rolled her eyes. It was a bit unnerving how lifelike these ice creations could be because Elsa knew exactly what Anna was asking for.

Waving her hand again, Elsa created a tiny replica of herself, clad in her Snow Queen dress, who demurely joined her sister and Kristoff at the center of the table. Anna clapped happily and offered her hand for a dance, but Ice Elsa politely declined, motioned for her and Kristoff to continue their dance while she, Sven, and Olaf watched. But Anna wouldn't budge, motioning with her hands that her sister needed someone to dance with. A sudden thought seemed to strike the little ice figure, and she planted herself on the ground in front of Kristoff and put both hands against the wood grain. Instantly a small patch of frost appeared, and with her little icy finger, Anna scribed a name into the frost for flesh and blood Elsa to read.

"You're joking," Elsa said to the ice figure, a slightly unamused look on her face. Ice Anna pursed her lips and crossed her arm in an eerie mimic of how the real Anna pouted. Elsa rolled her eyes this time and sighed, trying to keep a smile off her face while trying to understand why she was giving into the whims of an animated doll of her creation.

With the flick of her wrist, the queen conjured a perfect ice replica of Captain Revel who strode confidently towards the royal group and swept into one of his perfect bows in front of Ice Elsa and Anna. Both sisters respectfully bowed in return, but the youngest sister seemed to have been struck by another idea and ran off across the desk looking for something. Ice Revel had just begun conversing with Ice Elsa when Anna reappeared from behind a stack of books with a paper sword in hand and dove at the Captain. Revel expertly danced away, seeming to laugh as he did. Anna stood from her crouch and tossed the Captain another paper sword, and the two circled one another like fencers in an arena.

Flesh and blood Elsa took this opportunity to pull her attention away from her ice creations and their antics and onto the strange brown package she'd set aside. She'd not seen the package in her study earlier that afternoon, so the queen surmised someone had left it on her desk while she was attending the Yule Ball. Curious as to where this heavy, butcher paper bound parcel had come from, Elsa looked for a card and found a small piece of paper tied onto one of the strings securing the bundle. It was addressed to her in her given name, not her royal title. That left only a handful of people the parcel could have come from, and her curiosity increased.

Carefully, Elsa cut the twine and pealed back the brown butcher paper revealing a very old, very worn leather tome and a note resting atop it. She unfolded the letter and felt her brow furrow.

_Elsa,_

_ I hope I'm not being to forward by giving you this, and I hope the package gets to you before Christmas morning. I remembered a conversation you and I had during one of our sessions about your love for ethnic fairy tales from different cultures. You told me how your father would read them to you and the Princess at night, and how your current copies had fallen into disrepair over the years. Throughout my travels, I've come across many collections of stories, but this by far was my greatest find. Within these worn pages you will find at least sixty stories gathered from the Far East, France, Russia, and Germany. I believe there are even a few Norwegian stories here as well. I do hope there are a few new fables for your enjoyment, and, if not, at least you will have a new tome to add to your library. _

_ Merry Christmas, and I look forward to the continuation of our sessions after the New Year._

_ — CRH _

Elsa felt a warm flush work through her system as she lowered the note and stared down at the tome in front of her. Gingerly she pulled open the book, the binding snapping and crackling as she thumbed through it, marveling at the quality of the print and the detail put into each page. It was like looking at small works of individual art with golden scroll work and fanciful creatures painted with loving care into the margins. To say the book was a treasure would have been a huge understatement. Tomes like these didn't come cheaply and were oftentimes handed down from generation to generation, much like the books in the royal library. Some were purchased, but most had come from years of collecting from different generations.

Somehow, Elsa knew that Revel hadn't just picked up this book while traveling. The edges were well worn with use, the leather along the spine and edge of the book soft from countless fingers rubbing against it, but it was still well taken care of. The pages hadn't yellowed much and the spine was still in wonderful shape. No, this wasn't just a find in some market, this was a book from a private collection, Revel's private collection, and the queen felt such an explosion of warmth work through her chest she feared she'd start sweating.

_I gave him a bed and a bottle of brandy, but he gave me an heirloom._

Suddenly she couldn't keep the smile from her face as she continued to carefully thumb through the pages, picking through different stories written in different languages. She recognized Russian and French immediately, two languages out of the six the queen knew fluently, and flipped to the index at the front of the book to see what tales were listed. The queen was so engrossed in the tome, and in the flurry of butterflies knocking around in her stomach, that she didn't notice the little ice figure of her and Revel had begun dancing alongside Kristoff and Anna. Only when the two brushed past her elbow did Elsa look up in surprise.

The little ice replicas of her and the Captain weren't dancing the complex Five Step they'd danced earlier that night, but rather a common slow sweeping three count waltz. Around and around they went, perfectly in step with one another. Elsa propped her head up with her hand under her chin and watched the two dance, captivated by the glittering ice personas as they spun in time with music she couldn't hear. As the dance progressed, she barely noticed that Ice Elsa and Revel were getting closer to one another, bodies pulled together as if by strong magnets. Closer and closer they gravitated until the two were barely a hairsbreadth apart and stopped dancing altogether. For half a heartbeat they remained frozen like statues; Revel looking down at her and Elsa looking up at him, tenderness and longing written on both their icy faces. The stillness ended as both moved as one, leaning in, waiting for the moment when….

Elsa realized with a thrill what was about to happened and slammed her hands down onto the desk, dispersing her ice people in a poof of glimmering snow. Heart hammering in her throat and face flushing with so much heat she could have boiled an egg on her forehead, she leaned back wide eyed and slowly exhaled.

"Ok…ok maybe it _is_ time for bed," she mumbled to herself, putting an icy hand against her burning forehead. "Yeah, it's definitely time for bed."

Rising, the queen quickly made her way towards the door and managed to put a shaking hand atop the handle and pulled it open before something stopped her and she turned back around. The leather book still lay open on her desk like an abandoned child, a few pages slowly fluttering back into place from where she'd brushed up against them. Biting her lower lip, Elsa glanced between the tome and the hallway, torn between leaving it there and taking it with her. Decision made, she ran back in and snatched up the book before her courage failed her and hustled out of her study, door slamming shut behind her.

The queen quickly returned to her room and undressed, slipping under her covers but unable to bring herself to sleep just yet. Propping herself up with her pillows and lighting the small bedside lamps next to her, Elsa pulled the leather tome onto her lap and riffled through the pages until she came to a story that had previously caught her eye when thumbing through it in the study. It was a French tale, that much was evident, called "_La Belle et la Bête_". Eager to begin, the queen snuggled down into her comforter, propped the book on her bent legs, and prepared for a night of reading as fresh snow began to fall across the kingdom of Arendelle, heralding Christmas Day in a curtain of white.

* * *

**A/N:**Whew, fun read yeah? I had a hell of a time getting that dance between Revel and Elsa just right. Nearly killed myself watching youtube videos of ballroom dancing and such.

Anyway! My strange request/idea. So, I've come to the conclusion that I am, indeed, a horrible tease, and to demonstrate how evil I can be, I'm going to start dropping what I've affectionately come to call "Dustings" (snow puns for everyone!) on my tumblr page. They will be snippets from chapters I'm currently working on, giving you, my wonderful readers, little teasers to tithe you over until I can finally post something substantial. As my stories (mainly For the First Time in Never and a few I'm working on in the background) progress, I want to take more time ironing out the details and being thorough with the plot. But this is also a chance for me to get to know you all! Conversing here on FFN isn't all that easy, and I've love to hear from you through more than just reviews. Though don't get me wrong, review the hell out of this fic! I wanna see that number climb! So come join me in the madness of tumblr and nerd with me over Frozen and other fandoms. A link to my page is on my profile, but if it doesn't work feel free to message me privately.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** This...this took a lot to write, both physically and emotionally, and for a lot of reasons I won't go into detail about here on FFN. Remember, you can follow me on tumblr while I continue to tease all you wonderful, wonderful people with Dustings of the next chapter. Love to hear from you both on here and on tumblr, so review away. And for those who like to suggest theme songs for the chapter... it's "Say Something" by Great Big World featuring Christina Aguilar.

* * *

"I can't believe you gifted me a bed," Revel said from the barrel he was sitting on, left foot braced on the edge as he attempted to lace his suede boots.

"Are you complaining?" Elsa asked shooting him a sideways smile over her shoulder.

"How did you sneak that past my men? Hell, how did you even get it _into_ my chambers? It has to be at least twice the size of my old one, and the frame is made of solid oak!"

The queen gave the Captain a knowing smile that made his scalp tingle. "I have my ways."

"It was magic, wasn't it? You must have more magic than your ice, and you're just not telling us."

"Oh of course," Elsa chuckled as she slipped off the pair of fingerless gloves she used to prevent blisters from forming when handling a sword and tossed them at Revel. The Captain caught them smartly and set them on the shelf next to him. "Not only am I the Snow Queen, I also have the ability to shrink things with my mind."

"Seems like a power that could come in handy," Revel shrugged.

"Depends on who you're talking to and what it's being used _on_," Else said with a catty smile that sent a shiver down the Captain's spine. "But what I would like to know is how you delivered your gift to my study."

Revel leaned back against the wall behind him and gave the queen a smug grin. "I have skeleton keys to the entire palace."

"Well, that's certainly…reassuring. Though with the grin you're wearing, I'm not sure if I feel entirely safe now. Maybe I'll start icing my door shut at night."

"What's to say there aren't secret passages in the walls?" the Captain said with a nonchalant shrug, his grin still in place.

"Sneak up on me in the middle of the night and we'll see who has the faster reflexes," the queen said and summoned a shimmering ball of arctic magic into her raised hand for emphasis.

"I would never," Revel assured her, sliding off the barrel and dusted off his loose black breeches.

It was a week after Christmas, and the glow of the holidays lingered in the air like the smell of baked goods. Even with the decorations having been pulled down the day after the New Year, Arendelle could still feel the echo of the winter season as more snow continued to fall, blanketing the kingdom and country side in pristine layers of glittering white.

As promised, Revel and Elsa's sessions resumed the first Monday of January, both still flushed from the holidays, and the time they spent in the evenings seemed to revolve more around idle conversation now than any actual training. The two would practice a few techniques, mostly things Revel knew Elsa had down pat, before their conversations gradually took over and any hope at practice died. Tonight was different though. Revel was determined to get back on track with teaching the queen, and this evening he had a special exercise in mind.

"So, you told me earlier you wanted to try something new. Well, I'm open for suggestions," Elsa said coming to stand in front of him, hands on her hips. Revel swallowed and fought to keep his eyes glued to her face and not on the gentle curves of her body.

"Defense," he said with an exhale.

"Haven't we already covered basic offense and defense?"

"We have, but that's not what I'm getting at. The defense I'm talking about it shield defense." Standing, the Captain walked to his weapons rack and pulled down a sizable round shield. Elsa recognized it as a classic Saxon shield, the circular edge banded with an iron rim and an impressive polished brass boss at its center. Revel hefted it easily, sliding his left arm into the leather straps in the back.

"You know the basic point of a shield, correct?" Revel said stopping in front of the queen.

"To make sure the pointy end of whatever is aimed at me doesn't find its way under my skin," Elsa said with as straight a face as she could manage.

"Precisely, but a shield can be more than just a defensive tool. For instance," Revel said turning to the side until he was in profile so that Elsa could see his shield arm better, "you can shove with a shield, putting needed distance between you and an opponent, or forcing them wherever you want them to go. Do you remember those forearm blocking techniques we did the first month?"

Elsa nodded.

"The same principal applies while using a shield. Blows can be stopped or redirected. You can catch a weapon on a shield's edges and pull it away from your opponent. You can strike also with the metal edge, aiming for you opponents face, neck, or chest. And if you put a spike on the boss of the shield you can even turn it into a piercing weapon. So you see, there are advantages to knowing how to use a shield properly. Against popular belief, it's not just for hiding behind when the battle gets to rough."

"I see. So what will we be working on tonight?"

"Learning the basics, but first I want to see what kind of shield suits you."

"In the past I've always just raised an ice wall…it's worked out pretty well," Elsa said watching the Captain sling his shield over his shoulder, an action that seemed second nature to him, and walk over to the barrel he'd previously been seated on.

"I agree, in the past that's worked, but I suspect there was a fair bit of luck to it as well."

"Are you saying the two arrows I stopped with an ice wall was just a matter of luck?" the queen asked raising an eyebrow.

"Please don't take offense, but yes. You saw it coming and reacted. It was a split second decision that could have ended tragically had you been a hairsbreadth slower."

"Isn't that what you do with a shield? You see an attack and raise it in time to keep whatever aimed at you from killing you?"

"I understand your incredulity, so let me demonstrate." Before Revel had even stopped speaking he'd reached into the barrel and pulled out a perfectly round sandbag the size of his fist. With expert precision, he launched it at the queen and wasn't surprised when the projectile struck her squarely in the right shoulder. A split second later her ice wall rose from the ground, but the connection had already been made.

"Ow…damn!" Elsa said rubbing her shoulder. "What was in that thing?"

"Packed sand," Revel said pleasantly and lifted another sandbag. This time Elsa was ready and raised her shield, the sandbag bouncing off harmlessly with a hollow thud, but Revel hadn't meant to throw only one bag and launched a second after quickly skipping to the left. This bag caught the queen in the ribs. A third bag caught her in the hip, and she sword loudly.

"God, alright, alright!" Elsa said after a fourth bag managed to hit her before she was able to raise her shield in time. "I get your point. Ow, those things hurt worse than the bigger ones."

"They're meant to," Revel smiled. "Now that I've proven my point, let's begin again. Make a shield."

"Ass," Elsa mumbled rubbing her sore hip and scowling. The sandbag had caught her right on the bone, and she knew there was going to be a nasty bruise there in the morning.

"We've already established that the title fits me," Revel said with one of his infuriating smiles.

Elsa fought the urge to say more and spared a glance at the shields lining the wall. Most of them were U shaped with a flat top, a European style that had become popular a few years after her great grandfather's reign, but a few traditional round shields remained. Focusing on those, Elsa willed her ice to pool along the length of her right arm. Immediately it obeyed and began congealing there, layers upon layers stacking atop one another like bandages until she had a sizable lump ice sleeve on her arm. With a small mental push, the ice began to rapidly expand outward along the front of her forearm, fractals interlacing like crystalline fingers, snapping and crackling into place. Before Revel could blink three times, Elsa had formed a perfect replica of the shield slung across his back. He could see what appeared to be board slats, complete with individual wood grain and studs hammered around the outer band to keep it in place. It was, again, a magnificent piece of work, and the Captain found himself yet again blown away by the queen's ability to copy things with her ice with such precision and so little observation to time. The only marked difference between Elsa's shield and Revel's, aside from hers being made of crystal blue ice, was the stylized royal snowflake boss at the center of the shield.

"You continue to amaze me," Revel said taking a closer look at the shield. The ice sleeve she'd used to conjured the defensive tool remained, Elsa's right forearm completely encased in aquamarine ice.

"I just did as you asked," Elsa said feeling heat rise into her cheeks.

"Can you make it a little smaller?"

"Smaller?"

Revel nodded, taking the either side of the ice shield in his hands as if measuring it. "This is just a bit too large for you. Bring it in two or three inches so the weight is more evenly distributed."

Elsa obeyed and pulled in her magic like sucking water through a straw, the shield shrinking to fit his specification.

"Perfect. Does that feel a little better?"

Elsa tested his question by raising her arm and rotating it, feeling the ice crack and split as the tight muscles of her forearm flexed, only to reform a half second later.

"Yes, actually. It's not quite as cumbersome."

"Perfect," the Captain smiled. "Any particular reason it's on your right arm rather than you left?"

"You know I'm ambidextrous," Elsa said quietly. It was a little known fact in Arendelle that their queen could use her left hand as effectively as her right. The ability had startled and confounded her tutors in the beginning, and they had insisted she make her right hand her dominant hand. When the young queen had asked why it was so taboo for her to use her left hand, Bishop Arren had explained, as gently as a man of the cloth could, that Christ was seen as the right hand of God whereas Satan was the left.

"Anything opposite Christ is of the Devil, Majesty. Therefore, you must always use your right hand lest the Devil use your left for wicked intentions."

The Bishop's explanation had galled the queen for years. There wasn't anything significant, religious or secular, about the fact that she could use her left hand as easily as her right. To Elsa, it was just another form of religious superstition she had to live with, so in order to appease Arren and the rest of pious members of her council she became ambidextrous. Still, whenever possible, the queen would use her left hand, as it felt more natural.

"I know you are; I just didn't know if it was a matter of preference or comfort. It doesn't make any difference to me which arm you choose to use."

"It's a little of both really. I feel more comfortable blocking blows with my right arm while using the left to attack."

"Your body, your rules," Revel said with a shrug and a smile. "As I said, it makes no difference to me. Now, let's try the sandbags again."

Elsa was ready for him this time, raising her shield the instant his arm snapped forward and released another sand bag. She felt the concussion of the bag as it struck her shield, shockwaves spreading out across the crystalline surface. Peering over the rim, the queen sidestepped in time with the Captain as he let another projectile loose, this one springing off the edge of her shield and spinning away.

"Good, much better. You see the benefit of being able to take your shield with you?"

"Yes, I can see the benefit. So what now? I've created my shield," she wiggled her shield arm, "and you've made a point of hitting me numerous times with hardened sandbags, most likely exhausting your supply. So what else did you have planned?"

"What makes you think I've exhausted my supply?" Revel asked with a wide grin and launched a bag at the queen. With a squeak, she ducked and jumped back, feeling the force of the bag hit her shield a half second later. Peering through the wavy translucency, Elsa could see Revel moving to her exposed left side and dared a look over the rim. To her great surprise he was almost behind her, arm raised to throw another bag. Moving purely on reflex, she spun around and blocked a bag that would have hit her in the center of the back.

"Very good! I can tell your reflexes have greatly improved since the beginning of our sessions."

"I've had a good teacher," the queen said a little breathlessly as she continued to spin and block.

"You're a good student," Revel retorted with a grin.

"Yes well — damn!" Elsa stumbled and would have fallen hard had she not pin wheeled her arms and regained her balance. Balancing on one foot, she winced and rubbed her shin where a bag had skipped across the ground and connected with it.

"Oh, that stings….that really, _really_ stings."

"Apologies," Revel said trying to keep from laughing, "but you'll have to protect more than just your torso during a fight. An attacker will aim for whatever opening they can get, and people oftentimes forget to block their shins."

"Lesson well learned," Elsa grumbled. "At least I can explain away _this_ bruise."

"I'm sure you'll think of a convincing story to tell a curious onlooker," the Captain said over his shoulder as he walked the training chamber and retrieved his thrown sandbags. "If you'd like to take a break, I certainly wouldn't blame you. After all, it will take a few more sessions to get back to as sharp as you were before our holiday break, and I wouldn't want to push to terribly hard."

"You just said my reflexes had improved, and now you're saying I've gotten lax?" Elsa asked with true incredulity in her voice.

"Not at all. I'm saying that the holidays can make a person…soft."

Revel, sandbags cluttered in his arms, returned to the barrel and deposited them. Just as he was about to turn around something hard and very cold hit him in the back of the head. Momentarily stunned, the Captain reached back and pulled a chunk of snow from his hair, the icy particles melting almost instantly against his warm fingers. Slowly he turned towards the queen and was met with another perfectly placed snowball, this one exploding across the side of his face and making him gasp and stumbled against the barrel.

"Why Captain," Elsa said in mock surprise, "have you gotten _slow_ over the past few weeks? That snowball should have never hit you."

"Perhaps we're both out of practice," Revel said with a slowly spreading grin. He reached for the barrel and felt two more snowballs hit him, one in the back of the head again, and one against the shield still slung across his back.

"Raise your shield, Captain. Come on, I assume you know how to use it, correct?" Elsa said raising her own and readying another snowball, Revel's infectious grin catching her lips.

The chamber erupted in a flurry of activity as both sandbags and snowballs whizzed through the air. Elsa moved like a dancer, skipping and spinning as she ducked bags and retaliated with her snowballs, laughing as she did. Revel laughed along with her, hair dusted with speckles of ice and snow, the front of his shield almost completely iced over. Despite the queen's fast reflexes, and pinpoint accuracy when throwing her ice, the Captain had ground speed and force on his side and quickly gained the upper hand. More sandbags found their mark somewhere on the queen than her snowballs did on him, and in an attempt to even the playing field, Elsa hardened her snowballs to the same consistency as the sandbags and put more force behind her throw. She was rewarded with a few pained grunts from the Captain; he still had the upper hand, but the queen aimed to change that.

After deflecting a sandbag that could have easily connected with her shoulder, Elsa stamped her foot hard against the packed earth and released a wave of arctic magic. A large snowflake erupted under her and spread quickly across the floor, and in seconds there was no place either party could put their feet that wasn't entirely ice.

"Wait…w-wait! That's not fair!" Revel said as he attempted to maintain his balance as his feet lost traction and began to slide off in different directions. Try as he might, the Captain tipped backwards and fell on his ass with a grunt. The queen stood demurely at the center of the chamber, shield at her side. She began gliding calmly towards him as easily as if she were walking on polished marble and not frictionless ice.

"You once told me all was fair in combat," Elsa grinned impishly. "I just put the odds ever in my favor."

"I…damn," Revel said attempting to standing but finding it difficult to get his footing without first removing his shield.

"You're not going to hit me if I take this thing off, are you?" he asked warily, green eyes watching the queen.

Elsa shrugged, impish smile still in place. "No promises, Captain."

Revel detached his shield from his arm, sliding it away from him with a forceful push. "There. Now I am at your mercy, my Queen."

Elsa rolled her eyes and watched him, bemusedly, trying to stand. On his hands and knees, Revel managed to get his feet under him and slide into an upright position, arms held out for balance as if he were walking on a tightrope.

"Not so difficult now, is it?" Elsa said, left hand resting on her hip while her right dangled at her side, ice shield still attached to it.

"I've never had good footing with ice."

"Well, you've certainly not fumbled too terribly around me."

Revel laughed nervously and carefully shuffled towards the queen, tentatively placing one foot in front of the other. He managed to get next to her and stood a little straighter, surveying the state of his training chamber with a happy sigh. There were sandbags and half melted snowballs all over the place; a few weapons had been knocked from their stands on the weapon rack.

"Well, that was an eventful session. You really do have excellent aim. A couple of those snowballs will definitely leave bruises."

"As will your sandbags," Elsa said glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. She tried hard not to snigger, not to let on that something was amiss, but couldn't keep back a tiny giggle as she watched him. Revel noticed her barely hidden mirth a half second too late as a massive ball of snow fell from where the queen had suspended it in the rafters and landed squarely on the Captain's head. Taken by surprise, Revel jumped at the sudden shock of cold snow burying his head and lost his footing. Desperately clutching at whatever he could to keep from falling again, he grabbed hold of the queen's arm and pulled her down with him, the two tangled in a mess of limbs and snow.

The moment froze when the two realized what had happened and where they were, Elsa straddling Revel's left leg and laying against his chest, and how close they were to one another. Faces very nearly touching, a spark of volcanic fire leapt between them and exploded across their bodies, eventually pooling in previously unfelt locations. The Captain and Queen lay motionless for a span of heartbeats, stray flakes of snow swirling around them in glittering wonder that mirrored the sparking wonder felt between both individuals, until Elsa broke into a fit giggles she couldn't control. Fragile silence broken, Revel joined the queen in a laugh, resting his head against the icy floor and staring up at the shadowed rafters above.

"I'm sorry, that was unfair of me," Elsa finally managed after her giggles had subsided.

"No, that was perfect. You are as much a prankster as your sister. She used to do things like that all the time, only with buckets of water."

"She and I are cut from the same cloth," the queen said pushing herself off Revel and onto her knees beside him. "Are you alright though?"

"Nothing broken if that's what you're asking. Though my pride might be a bit bruised, I'll manage."

Elsa dispersed her ice with a wave of her hand, the chamber floor once again returned to packed earth. Standing first, the Captain offered the queen his hand and helped her to her feet.

"Now that you and I are sufficiently wet and icy…well me more than you…would you care for a cup of tea?"

"Thank you, Revel, but I believe I need to be getting back to my chambers. The next couple of weeks are going to be…trying," she said by way of explanation even though the idea of sitting down with the Captain and sharing a kettle of hot tea sounded like an enticingly wonderful idea.

"Ah yes, mid-January. Will it really be here in just a few days?"

"I'm afraid so," Elsa said with a deep sigh.

"Perhaps we ought to postpone our sessions until February," The Captain said as he walked the queen to the door as was his habit after each session.

"No, please continue them."

"Then I will be here waiting for you to grace my chamber with your effervescent presence," Revel said taking Elsa's left hand in his and bowing over it, his lips gently touching her knuckles.

"Is this your attempt at flattery?" the queen chuckled despite feeling the familiar flight of battle armor butterflies take off in her stomach.

"You said once before that flattery will get me nowhere with you," Revel grinned as he reached for the door handle.

"I did say that, didn't I?" Elsa flung her cloak over her shoulders and fastened the clasp with deft fingers. Task done, she stepped up to the Captain and smiled. "You are a charming man, Captain Revel, but I choose not to be charmed by you. At least…not tonight."

A sudden compulsion overtook Revel, and before he could stop himself, the Captain leaned in and lightly kissed Elsa on the cheek. It was a shock to them both but not necessarily an unpleasant one. The queen felt her face ignite like an inferno and knew her cheeks had turned a dark shade of red. Revel seemed to be fairing about as well, his ears turning a brilliant pink.

"Good night, Captain," Elsa said in a small voice, the butterflies rolling around in her stomach suddenly making their way into her chest.

"Good night, Elsa," Revel replied and pulled open the door for her. The queen silently slipped into the darkness without a backwards glance, and the Captain watched her go. Only when she'd entered the castle through the servants' entrance did he finally close the door and exhale the breath he'd been holding.

Mid-January hit like a freak hail storm rolling in off the sea, tossing the once tranquil atmosphere of Arendelle on its head and beating it like a dead horse. It was always like this after the holiday season. The queen rode the holiday high for as long as she could because she knew once January came it was only a matter of time before she came crashing back down to earth, and this particular mid-January season was an intensely harsh one.

The dread of mid-January had many facets and reasons. For one, it was the coldest, harshest time of year in the fjord kingdom. Mother Nature ruled this time of year with an arctic fist, and she found it amusing to pull insanely cold air in from the mountains, sometimes so cold they were able to deadlock the fjord in solid ice, and bring torrents of snow and freezing rain along with it. This wasn't uncommon for the people of Arendelle, but this mid-January season was harsher than normal, and the sudden change instantly made Elsa uneasy. Being a child of frost and snow, the queen longed to be outside in the stabbing cold, face in the biting wind, and hands in the frozen water. She wanted to embrace the cold, to become one with it, and that was where the second half of the hatred for mid-January came in.

The Spring Trade Summit was now only month's away meaning the queen had invitations to write, trade agreements to look over, new partners to solicit and old partners to pacify all while taking care of the endless ebb and flow of visiting dignitaries. You would think that the harsh cold would be enough to drive most ambassadors away like a team of horses running from a fire, but it was the opposite with Arendelle. If anything, it gave the dignitaries an excuse to stay longer if the fjord froze, meaning Elsa was forced to act the part of dutiful hostess all while trying to run a kingdom. She'd done it so many times before it shouldn't bother her, but the queen was a creature of habit and control, and when she couldn't control the weather in her favor, because fighting Mother Nature's natural fury with her magic would have been like throwing kerosene on a bonfire, or remove herself from her hospitality duties, she became increasingly tense and nerve frayed.

Elsa had all of these…festivities to look forward to without even mentioning that Anna had become almost unbearable to be around as her pregnancy deepened. It had begun with light mood swings and hunger pains, but now Anna flipped from one emotion to the next like a jester switching masks: happy one minute and screaming at Kristoff the next. The princess had taken it upon herself to decorate the nursery, and the little freedom the queen had given her sister over a particular room in the palace had quickly turned into a horribly regrettable decision.

"That's not the shade of blue we agreed on," Anna said and glowered at her husband.

"It is! This is the swatch you gave me to give to the paint maker. This is the color you wanted, and it's the color we're using."

"Like hell we are. That's the wrong color, and I'll prove it!" Snatching the color swatch from the low table next to her, the princess pressed it against the tester wall and looked back at her husband expectantly.

"See, they don't look a thing alike."

"Have you gone blind? They're the same exact color!"

"No. They. Aren't." Anna was about to say more when she saw her sister quickly duck past the door. "Elsa! Hey, Elsa! Come in here and take a look at this will you?"

The queen quietly swore under her breath, already ten minutes late for an important meeting with Duke Ferdinand. She would have kept on walking, pretending not to have heard her sister, but Anna poked her head around the corner and called for her again.

"Just take a look and confirm to my color blind husband that these two colors are nothing alike."

Elsa sighed and turned back towards the nursery. She glanced at the color on the wall and the swatch in her sister's hand and felt a vein pulse just above her left eyebrow.

"Anna, I'm sorry, but Kristoff's right. They are the same color."

"What!? No, no, that's not right. They're different!"

"I'm afraid not."

"Thank you," Kristoff said with a relieved sigh. "Can we now move on to more important things…like me starting on the crib?"

"God, the both of you are impossible," Anna grumbled and threw the paint swatch away angrily. "Half the time I think you're just taking his side to shut me up."

The queen gave her sister an unamused look. "I don't take sides, Anna. I never have."

"That's a lie, and you know it."

Elsa's face darkened and she felt a telltale dip in temperature. "I don't have time for this, Anna. I don't have time to argue with you, nor do I have the patience right now. Come and speak to me when your moods have evened out."

Elsa turned and left the nursery, leaving a fuming Anna in the care of an exasperated Kristoff. It wasn't the best way to leave an already rocky situation, but the queen had other, more important, matters to attend to, and none of them had to do with Anna's pickiness about paint colors.

That had been Monday. As the week trudged on, like a man trying to drag a body uphill, things only became more tense around the palace. Anna's moods did not improve, and Elsa found herself spending increasingly more time locked in her study in order to keep away from her sister. Wednesday brought with it a screaming match between Kristoff and his wife, the two at their wits end with one another. In an angry rush the mountain man had packed a small bag and headed out to the stables, announcing that he needed a few days alone to clear his head, calm his temper, and, should he be needed, could be found with his troll family in the hills. This left Elsa alone with an irate Anna who flipped between being volcanically angry with her husband and breaking down into fits of heavy sobbing. Even Olaf was at a loss and joined Kristoff and Sven in their trek into the mountains.

Later that same day a fire broke out near the wharf. Nothing malicious, just a lantern left to burn to close to a stack of hay, but the damage had been absolute. The building had burned to ash and cinders, and, had it not been for the fast reaction of the merchants and guards, the waterfront could have very easily gone up in flames. Elsa had received word of the accident minutes after the flames had been contained, and by the time she arrived at the wharf that fire was extinguished. She saw Revel and a handful of grim faced guards sifting through the still scalding rubble, every inch of exposed skin stained with inky black soot as they pulled smoking beams aside searching for victims and survivors. The queen had immediately stepped in to help, casting her magic over the area and effectively cooling the ashy destructions. The added measure of magic was a great help, and the rescuers were able to pull a survivor from the wreckage. It wasn't until Revel had carried the limp, ash covered body out of the debris that Elsa recognized the little girl as Sonja, one of her favorite children from town who helped decorate the Christmas tree in the Great Hall each year.

"Is she alright," Elsa had asked rushing over to the Captain's side.

"We won't know until the physician cleans her up. Her hand's a mess, but it doesn't look like anything else is broken. She's got some nasty burns though."

Revel gently placed the girl onto a piece of sail cloth suspended between two wooden poles and instructed two of his guards to rush her to the physician. A pale, balding man who could only be Sonja's father ran after them. As they departed, the little girls hand, which had been dangling over the edge, fell open, releasing the object she'd been clutching before succumbing to unconsciousness.

Elsa bent and picked it up, breath freezing in her throat. It was the little bear ornament she'd made Sonja two years ago. The ice had distorted in the heat, but the shape of the animal was still recognizable. With a wave of her hand, she reformed the bear and handed it to Revel, tears beginning to well in her eyes.

"Give this to her when she wakes."

Revel nodded woodenly and set off towards the local physician after instructing a squad of his guards to cordon off the area. The queen surveyed the damage with sad sigh. It could have been much worse, but the building that had burned was one of the well-stocked storehouses mean to supply this area of the kingdom during the winter. With it burned to ashes, it put a strain on the other storehouses, meaning Elsa would have to go through the lists of all of Arendelle's stored goods and redistribute them evenly amongst the people. It would take all night and probably a good portion of her free time tomorrow to work out the numbers, and the queen felt the weight of her title settle like a boulder on her shoulders. Grimly, she returned to the castle under guard, her mind still unable to push the image of little Sonja's limp body being lifted from the rubble. If she lived, she'd bear deep scars. If she didn't….Elsa wouldn't allow herself to think that. For sanities sake, she just couldn't.

By the time Thursday rolled around, Elsa was exhausted and beyond the point of done with everything that pertained to her royal duties. The fire the day before had left her shaken, and when she inquired after Sonja's health the prognosis was bleak. The girl would live but she'd be disfigured. The burns on her back and arms were severe and would most definitely scar, but what worried the physician was Sonja's left hand. It had been crushed under a beam and had to be amputated. The news had hit the queen like a well-placed punch to the ribs. Bitter sweet news was oftentimes worse than bad news; at least with bad news there was a finality to it. Sonja would live but without her left hand and with horrible scars on her back and arms. To numb to do much else at the moment, the queen instructed Kai to prepare a care package for the family. If anything she could at least ease their pain as much as possible while they recovered.

As the day progressed, her bleak mood only worsened, and, when emotionally compromised Anna was thrown into the mix, the queen's otherwise controlled temper quickly became volatile. Knowing where her anger could take her, Elsa instructed Gerda to help the princess in any way so long as she was kept as far from the queen as possible while she entertained four unannounced dignitaries who'd come calling earlier in the week. Elsa had to struggle to fit the men into her already packed schedule, cutting out eating breakfast and lunch for Thursday and Friday in order to receive them properly. As a consequence, she also had to cut her session with Revel for both days in exchange for some much needed rest; though sleep was a reluctant companion at night. Elsa found herself staring blankly at her ceiling, wishing for rest while the hours ticked by. It did help matters that her stress level was now aggressively high, and, with no way to bleed the anxiety from her body, the queen was left to deal with the back-build of emotions alone. Friday was when her luck seemed to take a turn for the worst, and the week from hell came to a head.

She'd woken late and fallen out of bed upon realizing what the time was, jarring old and new bruises. Dressing in a hurry, Elsa had broken her back bodice cord and had to send for Gerda to fetch a new one, making her extremely late for her impromptu meeting. Her tardiness wasn't received well, and, after two hours of heated debating, the visiting dignitary and his entourage left the palace in a huff with no trade agreement established.

"Young monarchs," the dignitary had muttered as he emerged from the audience chambers, "so much room for improvement."

Elsa had been beside herself with barely contained indignation and fury, and it took every ounce of self-control not to ice the man where he stood. The second meeting went more smoothly, though not by much, the diplomat from the Asham kingdom more than willing to discuss a spice trade agreement. The agreed currency exchange was a little higher than the queen would have liked, but with her luck this hellish week, she'd take what she could get.

That would be the only highlight of her day. Despite dinner being one of her favorite meals, hearty beef stew with roasted squash, fresh yeast rolls, and Gerda's special bread pudding, the dinner table was cold between the sisters, neither really speaking to the other unless asking for a dish to be passed for fear of starting an argument. Exhausted, stressed beyond reason, and frustrated to the point of throwing things, the queen excused herself before she finished eating, unable to stand being ignored by Anna as if they were children again pretending the other was invisible because of hurt feelings.

Elsa returned to her study a little hungry and flopped into her high back chair next to the crackling fireplace, unable to shake her darkening mood. Her mood was so dark, in fact, she toyed with the idea of canceling yet another session with Revel but thought better of it.

_Perhaps the stress release of hitting things will make this twice damned week a little better._

But if the queen was expecting the Captain to be in better spirits she was terribly mistaken.

Captain Revel Handler's week had begun on a less than stellar note and had continued on a downward spiral ever since the wharf fire. Nothing seemed to want to go right for him. It was like the universe had set itself against every move he made and countered each attempt at serenity with ever bigger obstacles.

First had been the fire. He still recalled the panicked look on Sigmund's face as the big guard ran into his office and announced that one of the storehouses was on fire. Revel had leapt into action and called for a water brigade to form up around the building. His men had moved as smoothly as oiled clockwork and a chain of bodies quickly stretched from the water's edge all the way to the burning building. Buckets of freezing cold water were passed down the line with shivering hands until the flames no longer licked the dry wood and the acrid black smoke no longer boiled in the sky, but the damage had been done: the fire ate everything within the building and left only ash in its wake. When the queen had arrived and doused the area in arctic mist, the Captain had felt a flush of relief pass through him. The queen could smother any wayward flame that might spring up far faster than his men could carry water buckets. So, Revel had thought the storehouse burning had been worst of it. They had lost produce and stored goods, but those could be replaced. It wasn't until he and his men began sifting through the rubble that he made the horrifying discovery of a little girl pinned under a beam.

In that moment his week went from bad to worse. Holding the little limp body in his arms had brought unwanted memories boiling back into his conscious thoughts. Grinding his back teeth and breathing deeply through his nostrils in order to keep from vomiting, Revel had carried the injured girl to a waiting stretcher. He didn't think his heart could sink any farther until he saw the tears in Elsa's eyes as she held an ice ornament in her hands and asked him to give it to the little girl when she awoke. Revel wanted to gently tell her that the chances of the child ever waking again were slim, but he couldn't bring himself to say those words. Not now, not with the memories of blood and bodies filling his mind. He'd wordlessly took the ornament and headed towards the town physician, heart sinking farther into his stomach the farther he got from the queen.

After that day a black mood overtook the Captain. His once limitless cheer and easy smile disappeared behind a cloud of ill-tempered fog that left his men scurry to get out of his way. Even Sigmund sensed the change, and remained unusually tight lipped around his superior. As the week progressed, it became clear to Revel that the storehouse fire was only the beginning of his troubles. A day after the fire, an angry mob of wharf workers and residents marched on the city watch tower at the center of town demanding to know if rations would be distributed to the poor families who depended on the burned down storehouse for food. Revel assured them they would be compensated and food and any other necessities would be available as soon as the other storehouses could be cataloged and their supplies equally divided. This did little to calm the agitated mob, and all thought of peaceful negotiation went up in smoke when someone in the crowd threw a brick into the line of guards surrounding the watch tower, hitting a guard in the head and very nearly killing him. Suddenly the uneasy tension suspended between both parties erupted, and the line of guards advanced on the mob.

Knowing it would be a bloodbath if he didn't intervene, Revel called his men back, reining them in like a team of unruly horses. Reluctantly his men came to heel, the respect they had for their Captain overriding their need for retribution. Plus, there were laws in Arendelle that prohibited the city guard in using excessive force to deal with angry crowds. Yes, a brick had been thrown and a guard injured, but that was not justification for the rest of the mob to be punished. The man who threw the brick would eventually be ousted by his fellow man when a reward for his capture was posted in the town square tomorrow.

Still, this left the Captain with a massive amount of paperwork to sift through and incident reports to be drawn up and brought to the House of Justice. It would take days to get everything sorted out, and, on top of an already stressful recruit registration, he had to continue his night sessions with the queen while trying to fit in an adequate amount of sleep each night. It had been an unspoken blessing when Elsa canceled her Wednesday and Thursday class with him, allowing Revel some much needed time filing his reports and sleeping where he could.

By the time Friday rolled around, the Captain's black mood hadn't lifted and didn't look like it was going to budge any time soon. So when his session with the queen began promptly at ten that evening, Revel had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach as he watched Elsa enter the training chamber and shut the door behind her with an irritated sigh.

A half hour into their session, Revel realized this had been a bad idea. Not only was Elsa as irritated as he was, but the Captain was having difficulty controlling his temper and levels of exasperation. The smallest, most insignificant things had the power to set him off, and the queen's lackluster attempt at target practice was grating his nerves like rubbing a porcupine backwards. He couldn't help up snap at her, and wasn't at all surprised when she snapped right back at him.

"How is it possible you're missing the target entirely? You had this down pat less than two weeks ago!"

"I'm not _blind_, Revel! I can see I'm missing the target," Elsa snarled as yet another of her projectiles swung wide and struck the brick wall beside the round hay target.

"You're not even trying," the Captain said massaging his right temple with his thumb. Elsa was being sloppy. Her stance was loose, her feet not correctly planted, her shoulder barely aligned with the target. It was like the only reason she was with him tonight was to fire ice spikes at his target, and he more pressing matters to attend to rather than playing attendant to the queen while she vented her frustration.

"I'm so glad to see you know my magic so thoroughly. Perhaps you'd like to step beside me and fire off a few shots of your own to show me what I'm doing wrong? You being the _master_ and all."

Revel could hear the bite in her voice, but rather than taking a less abrasive approach, he stared coldly at the queen. "Drawing attention to the fact that I don't share your abilities, and using that as a weapon to antagonize me, makes you look like a fool."

Elsa glared at him out of the corner of her eye. "Seems someone has a bit of bite to them his evening."

"Eerie looking into a mirror, isn't it?" Revel said before he could stop and shove his foot into his mouth.

The queen felt her temper flare, hot and dangerous, and fought the urge to slap him. Why was he being like this? She knew he'd had a bad a week, they both had, but tonight Revel was short tempered and broody, pacing and growling like a wolf in a cage. She began to regret her decision to come to session this evening, and toyed with the idea of leaving early in order to give her and the Captain some space, but somehow that felt like retreating, and the last thing Elsa wanted to do was give ground when Revel was being an ass. Call it stubborn determination, call it royal pride, but Elsa wasn't leaving come hell or high water.

"Perhaps we should move on to a different exercise," the queen said turning away from the targets and folding her arms across her chest. Revel stared at her with such open hostility she felt her cheeks reddening but refused to lower her stare as a reminder to the Captain who he was locking eyes with. Finally he lowered his eyes and sighed exasperatedly, leaning his head back against the wall behind him.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Something of your choosing. Apparently, I'm incompetent at target practice tonight, so pick something else. Something you can actually _teach_ me."

"Very well. Your evasive knife fighting is deplorable. I've been meaning to hash out a few lessons for you, but since you're insisting on a change of pace, there's no time like the present," Revel said with all the pleasantness of a grave digger. He detached himself from the wall and walked over to the weapons wrack, eyeing each blade carefully. After a moment of quiet contemplation, he grabbed a long wooden training dagger from the few he had on display, flipping the prop weapon deftly as he strolled to the center of the chamber, and waited for the queen to join him.

"Anything I should know before we begin?" Elsa said tersely as she rolled up the sleeves of her gray tunic and secured them behind her elbows.

"I will attack, and you will evade. Use the ground grappling techniques I taught you a few weeks ago, provided you remember them."

"What is it with you and making slights against my memory? When have I _ever_ forgotten _anything_ you've taught me?"

"I—"

"You can't think of a single instance; I know you can't. So who's using their position to bully the other now, hmm? Who looks the fool?"

Revel felt his face flush scarlet and his hands close into fists but hid his growing agitation by lowering himself into a ready stance in front of the queen; all the while hoping some swift hand-to-hand combat would ease his temper and loosen him up.

"Make yourself ready," the Captain growled.

Elsa seemed to enjoy the fact that she'd beaten Revel at his own game, humorless grin sliding into place as she spread her feet apart and lowered her center of gravity.

"After you, Captain."

Revel moved with swift efficiency, coming in low for a knife strike that would have buried the weapon in the queen's side, had it been live steel and not wood, but Elsa was ready and dodged his attack, spinning behind him and delivering a solid blow to his ribs. The Captain grunted in surprise and nearly dropped his prop knife.

"I didn't say there was contact allowed."

"Oh, I do apologize, Revel. Did that hurt?" Elsa asked sweetly in an overly dramatic voice.

"No physical contact unless we're wearing the proper equipment. You know the rules of my training chamber."

The queen sobered quickly and glowered back at the Captain. "You forget that you're merely _renting_ this chamber from me. Don't forget that."

Revel pretended he hadn't heard the barely veiled threat hidden within the queen's words and readied for another strike. Again Elsa dodged, but was a little slower this time in her escape from the wooden blade, the tip barely brushing against her right shoulder. She and Revel both noticed this, and the Captain idly wondered if he'd attacked faster than previously thought. Not stopping to dwell on the matter, he launched into another few sets of thrusts and lunges until he was finally able to catch the queen in a lock.

"So you _do_ remember some of the techniques I showed you," Revel said without any hit of pride. He was just stating a fact rather than making conversation and couldn't help but notice the brittle edge to his voice.

"Again with the memory quip," Elsa said with a scowl.

"I trust you recall what lock we're in?" Revel smiled mirthlessly.

"The twister-lock; yes, I know what it is."

"And you know that strength wins in the twister-lock."

The two of them were face to face, hands intertwined in a complex lock that could give in either direction depending on who had the greater amount of force. Elsa knew she had no hope of besting Revel in a show of strength, so she had to use other means to gain the upper hand. Without having to do much else than step forward onto the ball of her foot, the queen quickly iced the area around her and the Captain. Immediately Revel began to lose his footing, and it was all the leverage the queen needed to twist his arm and send him crashing to the frozen ground.

"Cunning can win the twister-lock as well, Captain," Elsa said standing over him with her hands on her hips. "You should have known better."

Revel didn't remember the red mist filling his vision as he got to his feet or the cold vice wrapping around his stomach. He didn't remember demanding the queen to remove her ice from the chamber or remove herself. He didn't remember the angry words they'd exchanged, words as hurtful as they were dangerous, or how dark Elsa's face had gotten when he screamed for her to leave. What he did remember was that she had taken a swing at him and he'd reacted.

It happened so fast. One second Elsa's fist was half way to his face, her small hand clenched in a tight ball, and the next, Revel had caught her arm, redirected her momentum, and flipped her head over heels. The queen hit the ground with enough force to crack the ice under her like a rock hitting a mirror, her head bouncing painfully off the ice like a croquet ball. Revel followed through with his throw and crouched over Elsa, their noses barely touching, his wooden prop knife pressed against her stomach.

The force of the throw and the painful landing had driven the breath from the queen, and her back arched against the pain lancing through her shoulder blades and lower back. Light exploded behind her eyes a second later as the back of her head connected with the ice. She feared she'd pass out as black mist began to creep into her vision. Fighting to breathe, Elsa arched again and simultaneously saw a shadow couch over her and felt something sharp pressed against her stomach. Immediately, she froze and her eyes flew open. What she found looking back at her made her blood turn to icy sludge in her veins. Those eyes….those clear gray eyes, like a wolf, completely devoid of emotion, stared down at her. Suddenly, she was back in the courtyard feeling the blade slide under her ribs as the world and everyone in it ceased to exist.

At first all she could feel was paralyzing fear. It coiled around her body like a snake, stealing her voice, stealing her breath, stealing any spark of willpower that would jolt her body into action. Those piercing gray eyes engulfed her vision until all she could see was her assassin, and all she could feel was the knife pressed against her stomach. Elsa felt powerless again and at the mercy of a merciless killer.

_Not powerless, _an unfamiliar voice said from within a previously unfelt portion of her mind, _Never powerless. Frost Born are never powerless. _

There was truth to the unfamiliar speaker's words, and Elsa felt a spark of something new and terrible ignite within her. She recognized it as the will to live, the clawing determination to fight to the bitter end even if it meant succumbing to her own death. She would not be another victim. Not ever again. Terror and rage merged into a volcanic substance that set her blood boiling, and her power ripped from her body with the concussive force of a cannon blast.

Revel felt himself leave the icy ground only to reconnect a half second later with a jarring thud that very nearly took his breath away. Disoriented, he attempted to stand but was struck again, this time pushed against the wall behind him with enough force his head snapped back and cracked against the stones. Bleary with pain, he opened his eyes and felt his heart seize with cold fear, all previously felt anger entirely forgotten. Elsa was a hairs breath from him, glowing white eyes alive with power. Her usually beautiful face was scrunched into an animalistic snarl, lips peeled back as she bared her teeth. Revel tried to swallow and felt resistance against his neck that only tightened as his Adam's apple bobbed. The queen had her right forearm pressed horizontally into his neck while her left hand…

The Captain flinched as something cold and dangerously sharp pricked the skin of his neck. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Elsa was holding a wickedly sharp will-ice dagger to his jugular. Revel went still even as Elsa pressed harder on the blade, the tip sinking beneath his skin. He knew what this was, had known the very second he'd seen the pain, terror, and panic flash across her face as she'd hit the ground. He'd seen the same look before in veteran solders returning from campaign, seen how the haunted look in their eyes could spark into a raging inferno the second they saw or heard something that reminded them of combat. The queen was in the full grip of the Warrior's Terror, and it was entirely his doing.

_Oh God, oh my God, what have I done?_

"Elsa," he said in a soft voice that barely rose above a whisper. A fresh snarl rolled from her throat, and she pushed her arm harder into his neck, choking him. "Please," Revel gagged and ground his teeth, "Please, I know what you're f-feeling. I…I know this feels right, it feels so good to have control, but what you're seeing is a lie."

Again she pushed hard on his windpipe, and the Captain choked on his next words. Even though he could barely breathe, Revel fought to reach Elsa. "I'm not him. The assassin…Hans… W-Weselton brothers, none of them…here. J-Just me."

Elsa's glowing eyes flashed, and Revel felt a bracing cold spread over his body as if he were wading into a frozen river; the shock of it took his breath away. Ice accumulated on his clothes and quickly spread across his skin, stealing the warmth from his flesh, but he dared not shiver for fear of jarring the knife and successfully ending his life. He needed to talk her down, needed to right his wrong…somehow, but didn't have the first clue of how to do that when she thought of him as the enemy.

_Aren't I though? Isn't this _my_ doing?_

"I've been where you are now," he began slowly. "I know what the fear is making you see, and it all feels so real. What you're doing right now feels so right, but you couldn't be more wrong. Please, Elsa, _please_ see me. Please recognize me. Don't end this here because of my stupidity. Don't become a killer. Believe me, it's a stain that will never come out."

Revel watched Elsa's body begin to tense all over, the hand holding the dagger of will-ice to his throat beginning to quiver. She was fighting with herself, waging an unseen war within the recesses of her mind, but if she fought the fear it would only grow. Surely she knew that better than anyone.

"No, no, don't fight the fear. Bend with it. It's all in your mind, and you have the power to control it. You've always had the power."

Revel felt the blade tip and her forearm leave his neck as the queen took a tentative step back. For half a second he allowed himself to breathe before moving into action. Slowly, carefully, he reached for the dagger that was very nearly hanging limp from Elsa's hand. He was fairly sure the episode was finished, could see reason slowly replacing the terror and rage warring in her eyes, but it had been a mistake to touch her. Suddenly, the queen's hand tightened into a death grip around the hilt of the blade, and she brought it down in a swift arch. Revel felt cold fire lance across the skin of his upper arm as the wickedly sharp blade bit deep, spattering blood across the floor. Had Elsa been standing a few feet closer, the Captain had no trouble believing she'd have carved a wide red slash in the side of his neck. As it was, the wound was deep, but nothing serious since it didn't seem to have hit the bone, so he wasn't concerned about his arm. Revel only had eyes for the queen as she backed away, bloody weapon pointed at him in a warning to stay back. She was breathing heavily now.

"Please," Revel pleaded holding his hands palm out to show he meant her no harm, "don't run from me. Don't let the fear and anger swallow you. Don't go where I can't follow."

She was shaking violently, every inch of her body quivering like a tree caught in a strong wind, hyperventilation increasing. Suddenly the dagger fell from her fingers, and Elsa gripped the sides of her head as if at any moment her skull would explode. Different emotions flashed across her face like lightning, there one second and gone the next. Staggering back, she ground her teeth against the pain, against the screaming in her head, and the room's temperature took a dangerous dive. The once cheery orange flame torches circling the room shrank down to blue whispers of heat, each only throwing off enough light to elongate the creeping, undulating shadows overtaking the room. Revel saw his breath turn to vapor in front of him and watched in transfixed wonder as toothy shards of ice rose from the floor around the queen. In the rafters above, more ice formed, translucent fingers slowly growing into thick stalactites.

"Bend, Elsa. Let it pass through you. Let it go."

Finally, it seemed the war raging inside her head finally hit a cataclysmic peak. The queen suddenly whipped around towards Revel and let a godless roar tear from her throat, and for the first time in years the Captain felt true fear seize his heart like a vice. This wasn't the queen standing in the middle of the training chamber, this wasn't Elsa. Her hands were aglow with blue fractures of will-ice that quickly began climbing her arms like jagged vines, her eyes glowed so brightly with primal magic they could have been ship's beckons. There was a lethality to her eyes that leant her an inhuman quality, a promise of pain and death for whomever was unfortunate enough to approach her in this state. Revel pinned himself to the wall, fearing if he shifted a single muscle he'd discover an ice lance protruding from his chest.

Her roar lingered far longer than should have been humanly possible, but once it began to fade so did the lethal light in her eyes and the glowing magic climbing her arms. Energy spent, Elsa swayed unsteadily as the adrenalin left her body like a bucket with a hole in the bottom. Slowly the torches returned to their normal burn, and the room once again filled with soft orange light, but still Revel didn't dare move even as he felt drop after warm drop of blood drip from his slack left hand. With a great amount of effort, the queen lifted her confused gaze towards the Captain, held it for a brief span of heartbeats, before her eyes rolled shut and she crumpled to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.

"You don't have to do this alone anymore. Because for the first time in forever, I'll be right—"

"I can't!" Elsa screamed at her sister's reflection in the ice wall in front of her, the back-build of her magic ripping from her body with a thunderous clap. All she wanted was to know that her sister was safe and for her to leave her in peace, but the Princess was anything but safe while in the presence of the Snow Queen, the monster who had buried Arendelle in nearly twenty feet of ice and snow. As always, Anna had come knocking at her door even in Elsa's exile at the top of North Mountain. She was forever knocking, forever trying to get her sister to open up, forever trying to search out and find the love the two of them had once shared as children before the accident. It was infuriating, it was terrifying, but it was everything the young queen needed, yet couldn't have. She was death while Anna was life, but all Elsa wanted, all she craved, was the love of her sister, her last living family member.

The queen sucked in breath after ragged breath, unsure of exactly what had just happened. The ice hall echoed her scream a thousand times over, her castle snapping and popping as her magic coursed through it. Remarkably, she felt better after her sudden power flux, but something was amiss. She could feel it like a warm prickle on the back of her neck. Elsa's ice palace seemed to realize something was wrong as well, the ice echoing the queen's hesitant curiosity by turning shades of red and yellow. When she heard the pained gasp from behind her, she felt her world tip dangerously to one side. When she turned around to face her sister her world began to shatter.

"E-Elsa?" Anna gasped staring disbelievingly at the twelve inch piece of ice sticking out of her chest. Blood rolled down the smooth shaft and dripped steadily onto the floor, a sizable puddle of crimson quickly starting to form in front of Anna's knees.

"No! Anna!" Elsa screamed and tried to run to her sister's side, but ice held her in place, locking her feet down. The more she struggled the tighter it gripped her, and the creeping vines of cold slowly climbed her legs.

"W-Why?" Anna said looking up at her sister, her once rosy face devoid of color. Blood dribbled out of the corners of her mouth and streaked down her pale neck in lines of crimson fire. She tried to remove the spike with shaking hands but only managed a pained whimper.

"Don't pull it out!" Elsa fought against the ice holding her and went down painfully into her hands and knees, reaching for her sister. "Anna, please. _Please_! You'll die!"

Grinding her bloody teeth, Anna gave the spike one hard yank, and it slid free with a grotesque sucking sound that made Elsa's stomach roll and bile race into the back of her throat. Gently, the strawberry blond touched the gaping hole in her chest, mittened hands coming away soaked in blood. By now the front of her dress was a gory mess, and she was swaying unsteadily, eyes beginning to cloud.

"I…I told them….y-you'd never…hurt me…" Anna mumbled slumping forward, the last of her life trickling out of the wound in her heart. She hit the floor with an ugly thud, the ice shard skittering across the glass smooth surface and stopping just in front of the queen. Elsa stared down at the projectile, at the ice that had killed her sister, slick with fresh blood, and screamed until her lungs burned. She screamed and thrashed, but, no matter how hard she fought, her ice wouldn't let her go, determined on holding the queen in place so that she could see what she'd done.

_Your sister is dead because of you!_ Hans' voice boomed throughout the chamber. _Dead because she trusted you weren't a monster!_

"Anna! _Anna, no_!" Elsa finally fought her way free but just as she was about to drop next to her sister, the floor opened up under her and she fell for eternity, blackness swallowing any shred of light.

She woke sitting bolt upright in bed screaming Anna's name, her sheets tangled around her like groping arms trying to pull her back towards the bed. Sheer panic assaulted her from every direction, and, before the queen realized what was happening, she cut her way free of her bed, ice dagger clutched in trembling hands. Elsa hit the floor with a jarring thud and heard ice crunch under her like egg shells cracking. Startled, she looked around and realized with a wave of fresh terror that her room was entirely iced over, every inch of open space covered in a layer of glistening smooth winter. A thousands questions sprang into the turmoil of her mind. Where was Revel? How had she gotten back into her room? Why wasn't she back in the training chamber, and why did it feel like at any moment someone was going to jump out of the shadows and stab her? Something hit her door, and the queen jerked around, more ice spreading under her in bursts of glowing blue power.

"Elsa?" Anna called, her voice drenched in concern.

_No, no, no, please Anna, go away. Something's wrong, please don't get near me! Please!_

She heard the door handle jiggle and her heart flew into her throat. Had she locked the door? If not, did she have time to bar her sister's entrance?

"Elsa what's going on? Why can't I get in?"

"Go away," Elsa choked stumbling to her feet, arms squeezing her stomach and teeth gritted against the agonizing pull of her magic as it fought to combat the terror swirling inside her.

"Let me in, Elsa!" Anna demanded, and this time it sounded like she'd rammed the door with her shoulder, the ice holding it in place starting to fracture.

"Go away, Anna! Please!"

If the queen thought her frantic command would somehow sway her sister into leaving like it had done in the past, she was sorely mistaken. Anna doubled her efforts to get into her sister's room, and, after a few more shoulder shoves, was able to push the heavily iced door open enough to squeeze in through a small gap. The cold hit her like a physical blow and she gasped, staring wide eyed at Elsa's room. The last time her sister had frozen her room had been during the assassination attempt a year ago, and that had only been sheets of ice. This time things were different. It looked as if someone had thrown javelins into the wall opposite the queen's bed, long flutes of glass smooth ice sticking out of the wall in clusters of three. Fangs of crystalline wonder hung from the ceiling and rose from the floor like the teeth of a massive ice dragon preparing to swallow the room whole, and standing hunched in the center of it, eyes so wide with gripping fear they almost glowed, was the queen.

"Elsa, are you—"

"Stay away," the queen hissed backing away as her sister advanced, sparks of blue ice echoing her footfalls. Anna immediately stopped and raised her hands.

"Hey, hey calm down, it's only me. What happened? Are you hurt?"

"Please just…just go back to your room, Anna."

"Not going to happen," the young princess said gently and chanced a step forward. Elsa flinched back again, and it was when she moved into the light of her frosted triangular window that Anna could see she was crying. "What happened?"

Elsa didn't know whether to bolt for the door or take her chances jumping out her window, but all she knew was that she couldn't be in the same room as Anna right now. She could feel her fears manifesting into physical ice all around her and knew her sister was in grave danger the longer she remained close, but Anna was determined not to leave. Breath coming in heaving gulps, the queen tried to struggle through the crippling waves of terror as best she could but it was too much…everything was too much…she was losing the fight…she was going to…

Sudden warmth shocked her out of her downward spiral like a slap to the face. Startled, she looked down and realized she was on her knees and her sister's arms were wrapped around her, swollen belly pressing against Elsa's side. Gripping panic washed over her as she realized how close Anna was, but her struggling got her nowhere as the princess tightened her grip, refusing to let go.

"Anna, please, _please!_ You can't stay here, you can be around me. I'm going to—"

"No, you need to calm down," the princess snapped and squeezed tighter. Then more gently she said, "I've got you. You're safe."

Anna began rocking back and forth, rubbing her sister's frigid back with her free hand. If she noticed that her sister was dressed in a gray fencers top, leather vest, and black pants when she should have been in her nightgown, she said nothing about it. Anna could feel Elsa tensing like a coiled spring, every muscle as rigid as a plank of wood, but she refused to let go.

"Anna p-please…"

"I'm not going anywhere, Elsa, and I never will. Please calm down, and tell me what happened."

The queen choked after a long silence "I killed you." Hot tears welled in her eyes. "Oh God, oh God, I watched you die…there was so much blood…I-I watched you die!"

"No you didn't, I'm right here. Listen." Anna gently took Elsa's head in her hands and pressed it against her chest right over her heart. Sure enough, the queen could hear the rhythmic beating of her sister's heart, and never had a sound been more needed or treasured.

Suddenly Elsa couldn't hold herself up anymore and collapsed into her sister, and heavy sobs tore from her throat. Hands gripping Anna's nightdress with an almost desperate need, she buried her face in her sister's chest and cried until her lungs burned. The two sat on the frozen floor for what seemed like hours, younger sister cradling older sister as the queen bled the fear and anger and sorrow from her body through her cries. Eventually she calmed enough to sit up on her own, body shaking with the effort. She realized her room was still incased in ice and dispersed her magic with the wave of her hand, and the room quickly returned to a more livable temperature.

"It was just a nightmare," Anna said as she helped her sister back into bed. The sheets were a little damp, so she carefully waddled over to the wardrobe and pulled out two sets of blankets. Returning to the bed, Elsa allowed her sister to throw one over her shoulders while Anna wrapped herself in the second.

"It was so real," the queen hiccupped, pulling her blanket tight around her shoulders more for comfort than warmth.

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

"We….we were back in the ice palace during the Great Freeze. You were trying to get me to come back with you when I….w-when I…"

"It's ok, it's ok, I understand," Anna said quietly and cradled her sister against her chest, shushing her softly as she began to cry again.

It wasn't all that uncommon for Elsa to have nightmares. As children, especially after her and her sister's separation, the queen had suffered from night terrors loud enough to wake the castle staff. Always, the late King and Queen had bustled into her room while Kia or Gerda herded Anna back to hers, but after their parents death the terrors had become worse and more frequent. With no one to comfort her, Elsa had dealt with the terrors alone. After the Great Freeze, however, Anna figured out what was going on and stepped in to help. As their sisterly relationship mended, the terrors slowly faded away until Elsa barely had one or two a year, but tonight was by far the worst Anna had seen.

For a long while the sisters sat in silence holding one another until Anna was sure Elsa had fallen asleep against her. Not wanting to disturb her rest, and with Kristoff still in the mountains cooling off, Anna decided to stay, determined to watch over her older sister until she could no longer keep her eyes open. The princess lasted another hour of dutiful watchfulness before drifting off.

It was the knock at the door hours later that woke Anna, and she struggled to push herself up with her elbow, looking around room blearily. Last night came back to her slowly, and Anna looked down at her still sleeping sister and smiled, happy Elsa was still resting peacefully. The knock sounded again, and the princess winced as her sister stirred with a pitiful moan and rolled away from the sound. Sliding out of bed, Anna padded over to the door and cracked it open.

"Good morning, Maj— oh, Princess Anna. I didn't expect to see you."

"Good morning, Kai," Anna said barely stifling a yawn and scooting through the crack in the door, swollen belly scraping against the wood.

"Is everything alright?" Kai asked seeing the tired look on the princess's face as she whipped the sleep from her eyes.

"My sister had a…rough night last night. Please, clear her schedule today, and inform any visitors that the Queen as taken ill."

"Should I call for the Physician, Highness?"

"No, I think rest is all she needs."

"Of course. I'll send Gerda up in a few hours with tea and a small breakfast."

Anna smiled and thanked the manservant, but as she was about to go, Kai stopped her and handed her an envelope.

"This came for Her Majesty this morning from Captain Revel."

"I'll make sure she gets it," Anna said taking the envelope without a second thought and walked back into the room. Elsa was still asleep, so Anna set the letter atop a large leather tome next to the queen's bed. She thought about crawling back into bed with her sister, but doubted she'd find any sleep now that she'd been up and moving around. Not wanting to disturb Elsa, Anna made a decision and quietly left the room. She headed for the nursery after dressing in plain clothes, determined to get something productive done before Kristoff returned, and to work out her apology to him.

Elsa woke groggy and sore, her back a nest of knotted muscles and bruises. Gingerly, she sat up in bed and looked around, unsure of what time it was or where Anna had gotten off to. The clock on her dresser told her it was well past eleven in the morning, and she groaned, hands scrubbing the last dregs of sleep from her face. Someone knocked at her door, and she bid them enter, too drained to swing her legs over the edge of her bed and answer it herself. Gerda pushed open the door quietly and wheeled in a small cart that held a tray of food and a kettle of tea.

"Good morning, Majesty. How are you feeling?"

"Terrible," Elsa found herself confessing before she could stop herself.

"Your sister informed us you had a rough night last night, so I thought a little food and some tea would help. She also canceled your appointments this afternoon so that you could rest."

The queen smiled wanly. Leave it to Anna to reverse the roles and become the doting big sister when Elsa was feeling poorly. "Thank you, Gerda."

"Of course, Majesty. Should I leave the tray and kettle next to your bed?"

"That would be fine, thank you."

Gerda arranged the plate of food and kettle on a small table in front of Elsa's fireplace before withdrawing from the room with a nod and a smile.

Not exactly hungry, and not sure how steady her hands were, Elsa ignored the food, instead propping herself up with her pillows and staring blankly out her widow with a gusty exhale. Things had gone so wrong last night she feared there would be no mending her relationship with the Captain. They had said hurtful things to one another, had both overstepped boundaries, but none more than the queen. She shivered at the horrible memories that resurfaced in fragmented pieces, snippets of different moments flashing behind her closed eyes like randomly flipping through the pages of a book. As hazy as most of the memories were, Elsa could recall one that put such a weight of shame and guilt in her stomach she feared she'd fall through the floor. Revel, green eyes consumed with seizing terror, staring back at her with a face so pale he looked like a ghost. It was the same fear the queen had seen on the day of her coronation when she'd run into the courtyard and accidentally frozen the fountains; the town's people backing away from the monster their queen had revealed herself to be.

Elsa suppressed another wave of shivers and drew her knees to her chest. How had things gone so wrong so quickly? Why hadn't she listened to her gut and left the training chamber before her anger and stress had gotten the better of her? Fighting to keep her composure, the queen slid out of bed and pulled off her training outfit from last night. She threw on a warm robe and wobbled back to bed, the backs of her legs sore and stiff. Once comfortably tucked in, Elsa decided some light reading would be just the thing to preoccupy her mind and reached for the leather tome next to her bed. Hardly noticing the envelope sitting atop the book, the queen opened to her bookmarked page and began reading. It wasn't until she'd finished the most current chapter that Elsa glanced at the envelope and realized with a thrill of anxiety who it was from.

With shaking hands, she popped the wax seal, withdrew the carefully folded letter, and began to read.

_Majesty:_

_ Due to the events of last evening, I have decided that it would be in our best interests if we cease our sessions together until a later, undetermined period of time. Regretfully, it appears I have overstepped my boundaries with you, an act that both shames and angers me; therefore I feel it would be prudent for us to withdraw from one another._

_ Forever your servant,_

_ CRH_

The queen had to read the letter two more times before the reality of what had been written, in black ink on white parchment, crashed into her like a cannon ball. The trembling in her hands grew so bad she dropped the letter and fought to inhale, lungs desperate for the air she'd denied them as she processed the letter. At first there was denial, but that was quickly overridden by such a heavy wave of guilt and shame Elsa thought she was going to vomit.

_Well done, Snow Queen, _a familiar and unwelcome voice said as Elsa hunched forward and hugged herself. _You've pushed away perhaps the only friend you've ever had aside from your sister. He fears you now, fears you like the rest of your kingdom secretly fears you. It was just a matter of time before you showed him just how dangerous you really are._

Hand over her mouth, Elsa was unable to choke back the sob that tore from her throat as tears suddenly sprang into her eyes. No, it wasn't true; it _couldn't_ be true. She wasn't a monster, not anymore. Last night had been a mistake…it had been an accident.

_Oh yes, you _'accidentally'_ attempted to kill him by slitting his throat with an ice dagger._

Suddenly, she remembered with such awesome clarity the blood on her knife, the blood pouring down Revel's arm from the deep gash she'd left there, and barely made it to her chamber pot before she vomited. Once her stomach was empty, Elsa staggered to her vanity and the basin of water left for her there. Not bothering to cup the water with her hands, the queen submerged her head in the basin for a few seconds before pulling back with a gasp, letting the water roll down her back and soak the front of her robe. Cool relief soothed her nauseous stomach and took some of her headache away, but it didn't last long. The memories of last night just wouldn't stay away no matter how hard she fought them, and along with the memories came her unwanted inner voice.

_What kind of Queen would attack a friend? Would you have stopped with Revel, or would there have been…other casualties?_

"Please stop," Elsa whispered to herself, fists pressed to either side of her head.

_The truth is hard to hear, Snow Queen, and even harder to swallow. When will you learn you're not deserving of love because who could ever learn to love a beast?_

The taunting voice subsided then, melting back into the queen's subconscious like fog burned away by the sun, but the damage it had meant to do was already done. Staring at the book she'd pulled into her lap without noticing, Elsa felt her tears returning as she read aloud a few familiar lines that had caught her attention earlier and now cut her deeper than any knife.

"Mon coeur est genre, mais je suis un monster," she whispered in fluent French, her fingers sliding down the page. Teardrops rolled off the tip of her nose and stained the paper as she bowed her head. "My heart is kind, but I am a monster."


End file.
